Underage Gay Performer Worked for Cobra Video

[gaybucks_chip]

I do have a question though, even if all of this came about because the model stated he wasn't 18 until October 26th of 2004, why was "Bareboned Twinks" removed from distribution?

My understanding is that the scene involving Brent was shot before 10/31/04, so Brent was under 18 at the time it was shot, making it CP. Of course, all of this is subject to documented proof provided to (someone). Guess when Chad is back from Amsterdam, there will probably be more to tell.

[Squirt]

It will be interesting to read about how the government plays a role in all this and how they will handle such a situation since the government is so anti-porn right now and how this will affect other gay production studios. The question is, is the FBI involved? Or local officials looking into this claim? It will be very interesting to see how this whole thing plays out as the news/information is released to the media.

This is just the ammunition the government needs to say SEE we need 2257, even though, from what we know, the 2257 laws were followed regarding ID.

I've also heard that he films many of these boys at age 17 but doesn't pay them $$$$ until they turn 18 years old and brings in a current ID showing they are of age. So in otherwords, the filming is completed when they are 17 but not released until they are 18 years of age and he has the proper ID in hand in his records and then he states a different production date on his and there records.

I hope you went to the authorities when you first heard of this stuff happening. I'd hate to think people have known about companies doing this kind of stuff and never doing anything about it. Pretty sick if it's true, pretty pathetic if it's rumors being spread to destroy someones name.

This kind of practice is STUPID as there are PLENTY of age guys in our industry who want to do the work, don't have to be manipulated or lied to, and are the picture of youth.

This whole situation is messed up for everyone involved AND our industry. On the Gay side of the industry we pride ourselves on keeping things neat and clean. This is definitely a dirty mark for all of us as a whole.

[chadknowslaw]

My understanding is that the scene involving Brent was shot before 10/31/04, so Brent was under 18 at the time it was shot, making it CP. Of course, all of this is subject to documented proof provided to (someone). Guess when Chad is back from Amsterdam, there will probably be more to tell.

Yep. There is more to tell.

I spent 4 years as an elected prosecutor. There is dirt on me that I am not ashamed to disclose--2 months after taking office I was arrested for drunk driving [2nd offense]. I checked myself into treatment and got sober--I have been sober since February 22, 1999. I plead guilty to the charge as filed and resigned my office. I spent time in jail for my offense, paid thousands in fines and lost my drivers license for 1 year [and no work permit either]. I ran for re-election 10 days later and I won in a landslide --I won every precinct and 70% of the popular vote. The voters had faith in me. I didnt have a drivers license but I had a license to practice law. The reason I got re-elected was because I came clean, told the truth about being an alcoholic and did something about it--I got treatment and stayed sober. [and politely decline when offered a drink at EVERY convention ;-) ] I took a bad thing, I told the truth, came clean and came out ahead gaining respect for being honest. I went on to have one of the highest conviction rates of all prosecutors in my state, but I also knew that each and every conviction was done properly--I never ever prosecuted someone that I was not sure the evidence showed beyond reasonable doubt the guilt of the accused. We have all seen the lawyer TV shows where an accused takes a plea bargain for something they are not really guilty because the prosecutor is threatening a long sentence on something that is a shaky charge. I never did that. I take clients that I believe are good, honest business people. And the clients I do have will tell you that I am certainly not doing it for the money--my rates are probably the lowest in the industry. I could make more but I really enjoy my work and the people I work with. I don't take on shaky clients or shaky cases--there are plenty of other lawyers for that.

A model's age is easy to verify--just obtain a copy of the birth certificate from the county where the model was born. The production date of a video is not so cut and dried--it was mentioned in this thread that a producer could shoot a video of a 17 year old and then release it after the model turns 18. That is still CP but harder to verify. However, if the birth certificate shows a model turned 18 on January 1, 2000 and the release date of the video is September 1999 then that is pretty cut and dried that the video is CP.

Teen sites and twink sites really need to go an extra mile to verify the model's age. To do otherwise is an unnecessary risk.

I have heard rumor that my fees are being paid by a third party. That is entirely untrue. No third party is involved in any way.

More to come!

[tombarr]

Model goes to attorney that is known to be familiar with the gay adult community to discuss ways to nullify a contract he feels is overly cumbersome, or unfair. Attorney starts asking him questions to get the back story..."what is your name?" , "how old are you?" etc....

model reports that he is 18 years old. Attorney asks him to prove it and gets an ID showing he is 18 today. Model tells story of being in adult videos for a video company, 1 or 2 years ago and signing a contract to be in those videos.... Attorney says, "wait, you said you are 18 now!" What is your actual age? Attorney makes efforts to obtain Birth Certificate from county records in place of model's birth.

Model says to Attorney he really doesn't want to get the studio in trouble, he just wants out of the contract...Attorney tells him he has to report what he knows....because legally what the model and the studio produced was CP. Convinces model that the best thing for him to do is come clean, take the punches that come with it, and then he has the best chance at moving forward and salvaging his career and reputation.

Studio doesn't want to admit publicly that it made a huge mistake in not positively IDing this model, so remains silent and turns it over to his Attorney.....while at the same time taking out some of his anger on other boards through some very interesting posts...

and the rest is history, and a big ole popcorn eating session for all of us...

Rocky, you want butter with your popcorn? LOL :joker:

Just my idea of how this may have come about....

[gaybucks_chip]

Geez.

Give Chad more credit that that.

Why is everyone so bent on Brent using this as an excuse to get out of a contract that Brent admitted on another board was signed *this summer* when he was 18?

Chad is an ethical guy. I don't see him trashing a video studio as a flimsy excuse to get a model out of a contract. I think the point he was making in the first paragraph is that when you fuck up, you stand up and admit it, take your rap, and move on.

Do we see Cobra doing that? No.

Cobra was certainly aware of the situation in advance of it being made public, yet it was Cobra's distributor, not Cobra, who initiated the recall, and the distributor's information came from a third party, not from Cobra.

Cobra has been totally silent on the issue except to say "These are just allegations." Even the crappiest attorney would have issued *some* statement by now, maybe a "We're very concerned about this and are looking into it" or something like that to indicate they wish to comply with the law... but as far as I know, nothing has been forthcoming. That certainly doesn't look good.

[tombarr]

Geez.

Give Chad more credit that that.

Why is everyone so bent on Brent using this as an excuse to get out of a contract that Brent admitted on another board was signed *this summer* when he was 18?

Chad is an ethical guy. I don't see him trashing a video studio as a flimsy excuse to get a model out of a contract. I think the point he was making in the first paragraph is that when you fuck up, you stand up and admit it, take your rap, and move on.

Noone is saying Chad is not a stand up guy...i know he is. And I certainly am in no way saying Chad did this to trash the studio intentionally.. Read my comments carefully. The meaning was that the model came to the Attorney, talked about the situation, and Chad, being the dilligent Attorney asked the right questions of the model that included information about his age, and Chad would then of course in the course of obtaining more information, find out that the videos were shot before the model was 18....and as such find out that CP was produced.. He is then ethically bound to report the CP.....and the consequences that go with that both for the model and the studio are impossible to escape. Nowhere at all am i suggesting that Chad is doing anything to intentionally trash anyone. It's just the consequence of the infromation that was brought to him.... (and once again, all just conjecture on my part)

[longboardjim]

From AVN.COM
By: Doug Lawrence
Posted: 10:35 am PDT 9-13-2005

CHATSWORTH, Calif. - "Brent Corrigan," who appears in four titles for Cobra Video, was under 18 when he performed in them, according to information supplied by the performer's attorney, Chad Belville of Tempe, Ariz.

The Cobra titles are Bareboned Twinks, Casting Couch 4, Every Poolboy's Dream, and Schoolboy Crush.

Pacific Sun Entertainment, which distributes Cobra Video titles, has notified all of its customers to pull the titles from their shelves, a Pacific Sun spokesman told GAYVN.

Updates will follow as details become available.

http://www.avn.com/index.php?Primary...tent_ID=240238

most unfortunate for pacific sun entertainment.

jim

[Squirt]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Chad Belville, Esq is a great attorney!

This gossip / rumor mill stuff is getting old real quick.

The FACTS are an under age model is on film.

With a model giving us two forms of ID, they could be fake, this could happen to anyone.

I think that having to get a birth certificate from the models county is a LOT to ask because I just checked and the only people authorized to get a birth certificate are:

The registrant or a parent or legal guardian of the registrant

A party entitled to receive the record as a result of a court order, or an attorney or a licensed adoption agency seeking the birth record in order to comply with the requirements of Section 3140 or 7603 of the Family Code

A member of a law enforcement agency or a representative of another
governmental agency, as provided by law, who is conducting official business

A child, grandparent, grandchild, sibling, spouse or domestic partner of the registrant

An attorney representing the registrant or the registrant's estate, or any person or agency empowered by statute or appointed by a court to act on behalf of the registrant or the registrant estate.

--------------

Not only that, you have to know the models parents maiden names.

Now anyone can get a non certified copy of a birth certificate but Vital Check states that the uncertified copies cannot be used for identification purposes.

And since fake ID could be used isn't it still a risk that you're getting a birth certificate for someone else who is of age, not the actual model?

This is a difficult situation. Our government agencies are scammed for billions of dollars every year with people using fake ID's for government programs etc. If the government gets duped, then how can we really make sure we aren't getting duped?

[ethanmasters]

Squirt, i love your brain. Something about rational thinking that is just uplifting to me.

The fact of the matter is, this very easily could have happened to any of us. I started off in this industry as a model, before migrating over to the production side. Models are evil little creatures full of drama and boy juice. There are definitely good ones out there, but some that will fuck you over in a heart beat if they can make a few bucks off of it.

Unfortunately, with most scenarios like this, no matter how it pans out, i fear that this is pretty much the end for Cobra Videos and Brett Carrigan regardless as far as their names, careers, etc. The entire scenario has left a retched taste on the industry, and as stated before, a huge dark mark on the gay side of the industry.

[chadknowslaw]

Tom and Chip and Squirt and all of you who have touted my work and ethics, thank you!

If you have been to a conference where I have been on a panel you have probably heard my code of ethics [I repeat it at every session]
Don't lie, don't cheat, and don't steal. It sounds easy but for some in this industry they just dont get it.

My work in the adult industry has been entirely by referral. I have never sponsored an event. I have never bought advertising anywhere. I don't tell people the sky is falling so they get scared into my office.
I will continue to work this way! I think there is nothing wrong with being a pornographer and that there is money to be made in this business--ethically and legally. Plus we can have fun and be ourselves doing it.

2 more days in Amsterdam!!

[Squirt]

I don't tell people the sky is falling so they get scared into my office.
I will continue to work this way! I think there is nothing wrong with being a pornographer and that there is money to be made in this business--ethically and legally. Plus we can have fun and be ourselves doing it.

2 more days in Amsterdam!!

I like that about you. You're honest, upfront, and ethical.

If people want to play the "screw anyone over to make a buck" game, I'm glad you're there to sort those folks out. It's about time there's an attorney out there for the everyday webmaster that's just trying to make a buck by following the law and providing a legal service.

Damn I should get my lazy ass out to Amsterdam! But.. unfortunately... this amateur webmaster is just to busy filming HOT Australian guys that like being in front of the camera.. oh well :high:

[tombarr]

Damn I should get my lazy ass out to Amsterdam! But.. unfortunately... this amateur webmaster is just to busy filming HOT Australian guys that like being in front of the camera.. oh well :high:

Squirt

One could hardly call being busy filming HOT Australian guys that like being in front of the camera........lazy! Industrious....enterprising.....salacious.. maybe..but hardly lazy.

[bradley_c]

Hmm, he must have been hanging around the local high school.

he gets them from manhunt.net... or at least that's where he contacted me from.

[EonFilms_Rocky]

Welcome Bradley. I suddenly have a new love interest!

:-P

Rocky

[EonFilms_Rocky]

Tom and Chip and Squirt and all of you who have touted my work and ethics, thank you!

If you have been to a conference where I have been on a panel you have probably heard my code of ethics [I repeat it at every session]
Don't lie, don't cheat, and don't steal. It sounds easy but for some in this industry they just dont get it.

My work in the adult industry has been entirely by referral. I have never sponsored an event. I have never bought advertising anywhere. I don't tell people the sky is falling so they get scared into my office.
I will continue to work this way! I think there is nothing wrong with being a pornographer and that there is money to be made in this business--ethically and legally. Plus we can have fun and be ourselves doing it.

2 more days in Amsterdam!!

I know we have had our difference of opinion on the boards in the past, Chad, but I have heard nothing except good things about you from everyone I talk to.

If I ever have the need, I would cal on you first based solely on that, as well as the way you handle yourself on this forum.

Rocky