From the Pensacola News Journal
Two principals in a multimillion-dollar Internet pornography business have been arrested, culminating an investigation into an operation involving hundreds of films featuring up to 100 local men and women, authorities announced Saturday.
Escambia County Sheriff Ron McNesby and State Attorney Bill Eddins said the men are believed to be at the heart of the operation that revolved around a Web site with as many as 5,000 registered subscribers who, for $30 a month, can view pornographic films featuring group sex.
The films were made at four houses in Pensacola, a house in Pace and at five hotels in Escambia County, Assistant State Attorney Russ Edgar said. Other settings included Interstate 10 and Interstate 110, wooded areas, vehicles and other public places, he said.
The two men, both arrested Friday, were charged with racketeering — conducting a criminal enterprise by engaging in prostitution and the manufacture and sale of obscene material.
They were identified as:
· Site owner Clinton Raymond McCowen, 45, also known as Ray Guhn, who resides in the 1900 block of Rue La Fontaine in Navarre.
· Kevin Patrick Stevens, 36, of the 9700 block of Fowler Avenue in Pensacola, who was a producer and Web site technician.
Both were released from jail Saturday after posting bond.
Edgar, who oversaw the monthslong investigation, said he anticipates several more arrests within the next several days. Racketeering carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
McCowen and his associates, who used the name Global Technologies Inc. and did business as Ray Guhn Productions, generated more than $1 million a year in sales to Internet customers, according to an affidavit. They had been operating for about five years, the affidavit says.
McNesby and the prosecutors said they were surprised at the large amount of money involved and the fact that filming took place locally.
“If you had told me in ’65 or ’66 we would be investigating this, I would never believe that,” said McNesby, an officer for 41 years.
The investigation follows an earlier probe that led to the arrest in March of 16 people believed to be principals in 10 Escambia and Santa Rosa escort services that authorities say served as fronts for prostitution.
Edgar said he expects all but three or four of those suspects to plead guilty. The rest will stand trial.
“They are all solid cases,” he said.
McNesby said the crackdowns reflect the area’s values.
“We want people to know that we don’t want this kind of activity in our community,” he said.
McCowen and his associates recruited and paid local men and women to engage in obscene group sexual activity, the affidavit states.
The site principals also hired people to engage in “private parties” in which the principals were involved, the affidavit says.
Some actors and models were paid up to $1,000, according to the affidavit. People in supporting roles were paid about $300 or $400.
Some filming recently was moved to Canada because people engaged in the operation regarded the local area as “the frickin’ Bible Belt,” the affidavit states.
During the investigation, an undercover officer posed as someone interested in performing. At one point, the officer was told the group had been filming in the area for about five years and had engaged more than 100 women in the area, according to the affidavit.
The undercover officer also was told to recruit friends who might be interested.
On Friday, investigators also seized guns, drugs, business records and computers. Officers with the Santa Rosa Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement also participated.
McNesby and Eddins said the investigation was prompted by local residents who complained about the local advertising of the films and the recruiting of local models and actors for the films.
Ray Operates the site cumonherface.com
This is a State Charge not a federal charge and the case is going to hinge largely on whether or not hiring people to perform in adult films and for adult websites is prostitution. In California this was already decided in Los Angeles V. Freeman, and that is why shooting in L.A. is legal. In other areas it is untested.
The Racketeering charges where no doubt levelled in order to seize Ray’s assets without due process.
These charges are state charges for Florida, If Ray looses this could very well be bad for anyone shooting in Florida, including all the icy porn sites, bang brothers, milfhunters etc.
