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BBC: “HIV Scandal in Gay Porn Industry”
March 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment
[Minor edits, 03/05/08.] The BBC Newsnight broadcast has gone live this evening with an expos√ɬ© titled “HIV Scandal in Gay Porn Industry.” The report references two scandals rocking the British gay adult business: The revelation that four young performers have tested positive for HIV following a bareback porn shoot, and the arrest of director Rufus Ffoulkes, who was jailed last week when it was revealed he had filmed a 16-year-old performer for a separate bareback film shoot. The BBC story notes that the “US company which released the film had refused appeals to stop selling the DVD until it was approached by Newsnight.” That company is Puppy Productions, whose CEO Thomas Bjorn told me a different story (click here or scroll down two stories to read it). The film’s European distributor, ICreme, tells the BBC they are switching to condoms-only production. Directrix Chi Chi LaRue is quoted for the story, and director Steven Brewer is quoted as calling for “a new code of practice designed to minimise risk within the gay porn industry.” This is absolutely necessary. As I wrote the other day, the European adult market is like the Wild West right now and they must begin to self-regulate. “I just don’t want another 18-year-old model crying on my shoulder not sure how to tell his partner or his parents that he is now HIV positive,” Mr. Brewer says.
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I understand the legality of Gay Porn is up for review in the UK Parliament Not good timing!
Gay Porn was legalized in 1998 in the UK and there is a bill working its way though to “revise” Gay porn’s status.
Without Constitutional guarantees and with a fully embedded Nanny state mentality in the UK I full expect a crackdown.
This will more likely mean the end of UK BB Gay Porn production.
Rufus and company will have brought this on their “own heads”
Didn’t Puppy Productions have another underage performer problem in the 90s?
Doubtful according to Thomas Bjorn he has only been in business 5 to 6 years and his porn output was locally produced(San Diego) and very niche until he started buying the UK porn in 2005. Bjorns self produced content rarely featured Twinks.
You might be confusing him with Kristen Bjorn but I do not recall an underage issue with him either.
I believe the underage scandal of the 1990′s was Jeff Browning who made some 20+ scenes for Falcon and Chi Chi La Rue
He was 16 (but looked 20)
@DeWayne: Not gonna say it was before my time, but never heard of Jeff Browning. Was there a scandal/prosecution and do you know the title(s) that were withdrawn? And did he continue in the biz or disappear? (I know I could look it up, but do share.)