AP: AIDS group calls on county to enforce condom law

In News by AHF

Mercury News
by John Rogers Associated Press

LOS ANGELES—A group that successfully campaigned for a new law requiring porn actors to use condoms accused Los Angeles County on Tuesday of failing to take action against violators.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation has proof that at least one adult filmmaker acquired a permit, as mandated under the county law, then ignored the condom requirement, foundation leader Michael Weinstein said.
Foundation officials filed a formal complaint Sunday with the county Health Department citing Immoral Productions as the violator, Weinstein said.

Health Department officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Immoral Productions chief executive officer Dan Leal did not respond to phone and email messages.

County officials said after the law was approved in November that they had no timetable for putting enforcement plans in place.

The complaint was brought largely because officials appear to be making no effort to enforce the law, Weinstein said.

“We’re challenging the county in filing this complaint to come forward and say what they’re going to do,” he told reporters in a conference call.

Weinstein said his group was told in an anonymous letter that Immoral Productions wasn’t following the condom requirements it agreed to in applying for its film permit. Foundation officials went to the filmmaker’s website and confirmed that was true, he said.

Immoral Productions, which claims on its website to make “some of the freshest gonzo and reality-based porn around,” streams several shows a week to subscribers. It says it also holds contests in which winners get to have sex with porn stars.

Under the law, the company could lose its film permit and be fined as much as $1,000 if found in violation.

Weinstein said he isn’t as interested in seeing the company penalized as he is in having the law enforced.

He added that he’s seen numerous postings on porn blogs mocking the measure and predicting county officials won’t bother to enforce it.

“I think the county ought to be concerned about businesses that advertise that they’re going to thumb their nose at county laws, particularly in areas having to do with health and safety,” he said.

The foundation wants the county to make spot checks on porn productions, just as officials do at restaurants, nail salons and other businesses where operations can affect public health.

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