“Girls Gone Wild” creator Joe Francis was found guilty on Monday of several charges, including false imprisonment and assault, and now faces up to five years in jail.
The charges stem from a 2011 incident in which Francis picked up three women at the Hollywood Supperclub, took them back to his home, and became physical with one of them, allegedly grabbing her by the hair and slamming her face into the floor. He eventually let the women leave, but only after threatening them and warning them not to tell anyone about what had happened.
Francis has been accused of assaulting a woman before but hasn’t been charged with anything until now. His charges include three counts of false imprisonment, one count of assault causing great bodily injury, and one count of dissuading a witness from reporting. As for his celebrity status, it will not help him this time.
“Whether a celebrity or not, you will be held accountable for your misdeeds,” City Atty. Carmen A. Trutanich said in a statement. “The victims in this case should be commended for their courage in stepping forward and reporting these attacks, and for not being intimidated from seeing this matter through the justice system.”
