 PANAMA CITY, Fla. - Hundreds of hours of videotape seized by deputies in their 2003 search of "Girls Gone Wild" producer Joseph Francis' condominium cannot be used in court, a judge ruled. Circuit Judge Dedee Costello suppressed all evidence Tuesday gathered during the searches. Defense attorneys argued the search warrants were not specific about what deputies were looking for in the condominium. | They're looking for videos of hot naked girls, and no, I'd don't have a link. Dammit. |
Francis was arrested after two 17-year-old girls claimed a "Girls Gone Wild" cameraman videotaped them in sexual situations. Authorities say Francis targeted underage girls for his videos.
| Let me guess, they were all 'college students'. |
Deputies seized 700 items that formed the basis for most of the 42 charges against Francis and his company. The case is set for trial this year, and Francis, 33, could face decades in prison if convicted. State Attorney Steve Meadows said he would have to wait until the order is finalized to know how badly it would damage his case. "The obvious strength of this case is that much of the illegal conduct alleged is caught on videotape," he said. | "We're still reviewing the tapes. Luckily, we've got plenty of officers who offered to help." |
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