Azov Films Prosecutions

Background

Azov Films was based in Toronto, Canada, and specialized in selling barely-legal visual material mostly featuring boys participating in nudist gym and camp sports. The films were apparently produced in Eastern Europe. The legality of the material differed from country to country, but was widely believed to be well established in the major market, the U.S.A., which has historically tolerated depictions of underage nudity provided there is no sexual content.

However, the company's website (www.azovfilms.com) closed on or about May 1, 2011, apparently as a result of a police raid according to some US authorities, although there is no corroboration of this from Canadian authorities or the Canadian press. These same US authorities have obtained business records from Azov Films including customer e-mail and postal mail addresses and transaction receipts with customer credit card information.

Starting in 2012, some US customers of Azov Films have been arrested and charged with receipt and possession of child pornography: some of the nude visual material has been construed as illegal by US Law Enforcement Officers ("LEO's"), including agents of the United States Postal Inspection Service. So far, all of the prosecutions are based on receipt by postal mail of Azov DVDs. US Postal Inspector Jeff Adkins, in an Affidavit dated 10/25/2012, states that 160 movies out of the approximately 600 available on the Company website have been "categorized as containing child pornography." [1] However, no list of those 160 titles has been made available to the public. In addition, the Company name AZOV has been redacted from every public filing made by LEO's.

A list of all the English titles of the Azov Films known to date appears on the French Boywiki. [2]

UPDATE: We learned of the first likely Azov-related arrest of a CANADIAN customer (Nova Scotia). However, still no news from Toronto on what happened to the personnel of Azov. Were they charged for producing and distributing child pornography as alleged by some US authorities? Or did they cooperate with LEO's and escape prosecution? Many questions remain unanswered.

UPDATE from SPAIN: 28 Azov customers in Spain were arrested on or about December 7, 2012.

Defendants

(This may be an incomplete list. All of these individuals should be presumed innocent until proven guilty. Azov Films is not yet explicitly cited in the official documentation of some of these cases, but there is strong circumstantial evidence that the alleged pornographic material was their product.)

Canada

• Edward Rutherford (long-time sponsor of junior sports) of North Bay, Ontario [3] PLEADED GUILTY on June 5, 2012

• Brian David Jobb (Retired Teacher and Principal) of Lilydale, Nova Scotia [4] [5] [6] --- case postponed until Feb. 6, 2013 [7]
  • Defense Attorney Shawn P. D'Arcy of Conrad & Feindel [8]

Spain

• 28 arrested in Spain [9]

U.S.A.

• Joseph Monroe Wilson (Teacher) of Dallas, Georgia, now of Spartanburg, South Carolina --- Press Release [10]

• • USA v. Wilson

    U.S. District Court --- Northern District of Georgia (Rome)

    CRIMINAL DOCKET CASE #: 4:12-cr-00023-RLV-WEJ-1

    Lead Defense Attorney: Howard Jay Manchel [11]--- Motion to Suppress [12]

• Richard Keller, M.D. of Andover, Massachusetts ---Court Complaint [13] --- PLEADS NOT GUILTY [14]
  • USA v. Keller

    U.S. District Court --- District of Massachusetts (Boston)

    CRIMINAL DOCKET CASE #: 1:12-mj-07168-JCB-1

    Lead Defense Attorney: Max D. Stern [15]

• William S. Thomas (Nurse) of Andover, Massachusetts --- News Article [16]
  • USA v. Thomas

    U.S. District Court --- District of Massachusetts (Boston)

    CRIMINAL DOCKET CASE #: 1:12-mj-07204-JCB-1

    Defense Attorney: Philip G. Cormier [17]

• Edward F. Cousens of Holbrook, Massachusetts --- News [18]

• Gerald Deneault of Mansfield, Massachusetts ---News [19]

• Gerald Silva (State Probation Officer) of Coventry, Rhode Island ---News Article [20] --- Press Release + Complaint [21]

• Sgt. Philip Woolery (Grapevine Police Department) of Crowley, Texas --- News Article + link to Complaint [22]
  • USA v. Woolery

    U.S. District Court --- Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth)

    CRIMINAL DOCKET CASE #: 4:12-mj-00430-BJ-1

    Defense Attorney: William Reagan Wynn [23] (replaced William Hermesmeyer)

• Harry Hopper of Tecumseh, Oklahoma --- News [24] --- Defense Attorney David Slane [25]

• Gary Jefferson Byrd of Opelousas, Louisiana --- News Article [26] --- Arrested 9/24/2012 by US Postal Inspector Allyson Leigh Hoffine
  • USA v. Byrd

    U.S. District Court --- Western District of Louisiana (Lafayette)

    CRIMINAL DOCKET CASE #: 6:12-cr-00274-EEF-CMH-1

    Court-Appointed (CJA) Defense Attorney Randal P McCann --- Law Office of Randal P McCann (no website)

    1005 Lafayette St --- Lafayette, LA 70501

    Tel: 337-232-1255 --- Fax: 337-232-1268 --- Email: rpm@rpmlawfirm.com

• Joseph Finocchiaro of Bath, Maine --- Court Complaint Part 1 [27]--- Court Complaint Part 2 [28] --- News Article [29]
  • USA v. Finocchiaro

    U.S. District Court --- District of Maine (Portland)

    CRIMINAL DOCKET CASE #: 2:12-mj-00190-GZS-1

    Defense Attorney: David R. Beneman --- Federal Defenders Office

    P.O. Box 595 --- Portland, ME 04112-0595

    207-553-7070 ext. 101 --- Fax: 207-553-7017 --- Email: David.Beneman@fd.org

• Loyd Jeffrey Hitt of Center Point, Alabama --- News [30] [31]
  • USA v. Hitt

    U.S. District Court --- Northern District of Alabama (Southern)

    CRIMINAL DOCKET CASE #: 2:12-mj-00346-RRA-1

    Lead Defense Attorney: Glennon F Threatt , Jr. --- Assistant Federal Public Defender

    505 20th Street North, Suite 1425 --- Birmingham, AL 35203

    Tel. 205-504-1642 --- Email: Glennon_Threatt@fd.org

• Nicholas G. Sysock (High School Vice Principal) of Carteret, New Jersey --- News [32] --- News [33] --- Criminal Complaint [34]
  • USA v. Sysock

    U.S. District Court --- District of New Jersey (Newark)

    CRIMINAL DOCKET CASE #: 2:12-mj-03197-PS-1

    Defense Attorney: Carol Gillen --- Federal Public Defenders Office

    1002 Broad St --- Newark, NJ 07103

    973-645-6347 --- Fax: 973-645-3101 --- Email: carol_gillen@fd.org

• John Charles Mason (Youth Services Counselor) of Conroe, Texas --- News [35] --- News Article [36]

• Josh Ensley (School Janitor) of Tucker, Georgia --- News Article + link to Complaint [37]

• William Villemez (Teacher) of Smyrna, Georgia --- News [38]
  • USA v. Villemez

    U.S. District Court --- Northern District of Georgia (Atlanta)

    CRIMINAL DOCKET CASE #: 1:12-cr-00392-JOF-GGB-1

    Defense Attorney --- Judy A. Fleming --- Federal Defender Program Inc.-Atl

    Suite 1500, Centennial Tower -- 101 Marietta Street, NW -- Atlanta, GA 30303

    404-688-7530 --- Fax: 404-688-0768 -- Email: Judy_Fleming@FD.Org

• Andrew W. Nielsen (Police Officer) of S. Windsor, Connecticut --- News [39][40]
  • USA v. Nielsen

    U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut (New Haven)

    CRIMINAL DOCKET CASE #: 3:12-mj-00273-TPS-1

    Defense Attorney --- Ryan McGuigan --- Rome McGuigan, P.C. --- One State Street 13th Floor ---

    Hartford, CT 06103 --- Tel. 860-549-1000 Fax: 860-724-3921 --- Email: rmcguigan@rms-law.com

• Michael Winston Baynes (School employee) of Henrico, Virginia --- News [41] --- TRIAL SET FOR FEB. 5, 2013 [42]
  • USA v. Baynes

    U.S. District Court -- Eastern District of Virginia - (Richmond)

    CRIMINAL DOCKET CASE #: 3:12-mj-00417-DJN-1

    Defense Attorney --- Frederick Michael Schick [43]

• David S. Engle (Attorney involved in youth baseball) of Maple Valley, Washington --- News [44] --- Press Release [45]

• Lawrence Higgins of Seneca Falls, NY --- News [46] --- Press Release [47]

• Scott Studer (High School Coach) of Massillon, Ohio --- News [48] --- News [49]
  • PLEADS GUILTY, but on tangential State charges (NOT AZOV-related) for Studer's secret videotaping of boys in the showers [50]

• Larry McClendon of Tupelo, Mississippi --- News [51] --- News [52]

• Ryan C. Bieler (former Boy Scouts executive) of Ireland, Indiana [53] --- Court Complaint [54]
  • Court-Appointed (CJA) Defense Attorney Ivan Arnaez --- 123 Northwest 4th Street Evansville, IN 47708‎

    Tel. (812) 424-6671 (812) 434-4818 (Fax) --- Email: jdcmjs@aol.com

• Ryan Kasler (part-year Christian missionary in Romania) [55]

• Kris Katzenmeyer of Broomfield, Colorado --- Press Release [56] --- News [57]
  • Defense Attorney Robert William Pepin --- Office of the Federal Public Defender

    633 Seventeenth Street #1000 --- Denver, CO 80202

    Tel: 303-294-7002 Fax: 303-294-1192 --- Email: Robert_Pepin@fd.org

• Dr. Mark B. Shaffer Jr. (79-year-old physician) of Aurora, Ohio [58]

• Stanley Keith Johnson (Schools employee) of Mableton, Georgia [59][60][61]

• Jerry Lanier (Music teacher) of Smyrna, Georgia [62]

• Robert L. Nouwen (Church deacon) of Mobile, Alabama --- PLEA BARGAIN GUILTY [63][64]
  • news report that mentions azovfilms.com [65] (Archived by WebCite® at [66])

Updates

• Azov Films Arrests Round Up - with details --- BoyChat post dated January 7, 2013 [67]

• Azov Films Legal Advice --- BoyChat posts [68] [69] [70] --- An anonymous BoyChat poster discusses the advice he received from three attorneys. This is for informational purposes only and should NOT replace a personal consultation with your own attorney!

• Exploring Truths Behind Recent Azov Films Arrests --- BoyChat post dated December 7, 2012 [71]

External Links

• Honey Pot or Legit Site? --- BlackTurtle.us blog post dated February 7, 2010 [72] Accessed: 2012-11-03. (Archived by WebCite® at [73])

• Nude Art Controversies Blog [74]

• The Azov Films mass-state-rape: details of Dr. Richard Keller and other arrestees (a work in progress) [75]

• Journalism Hall of Shame --- [76] "This Hall of Shame is dedicated to journalists guilty of notable professional shortcomings in their reporting on the arrests of men who purchased naturist materials they believed to be legal from the company called Azov Films."