Jurors View Sex Videos As Max Hardcore Obscenity Trial Begins

TAMPA - With a security officer posted outside to check the identification of anyone who looked underage and a pounding soundtrack blaring through the sound system, a federal jury watched five graphic video montages this morning in the obscenity trial of a man who calls himself Max Hardcore.

"It's hard to believe that these innocent-looking girls will subject themselves to such vile perversions," boasts the Max Hardcore Web site, which depicts the defendant, whose real name is Paul Little, smiling broadly from beneath a white cowboy hat.

Little and his company, MaxWorld Entertainment, face five counts each of distributing obscene materials over the Internet and through the mail.

The prosecution, through witness James Fottress, a Justice Department investigator, played about 15 minutes of trailers this morning in which women are shown having numerous sex acts performed on them, including repeated acts with fists and various substances being sprayed on their faces and into various parts of their bodies. One trailer ends with the words, "Acting Lessons (Where Whores Play the Part of Toilets)."

Federal prosecutor Lisa Maria Freitas told jurors in her brief opening statement that the government was not seeking to attack the entire adult-entertainment industry. "We're here to present evidence, in the defendant's words, of extreme acts," she said.

Defense attorney H. Louis Sirkin, who represents MaxWorld, told jurors the videos in question were made using consenting adult actors and distributed by a company called Jaded Video, in which Little doesn't have an interest. The owner of the distribution company, Sirkin said, was given immunity and is expected to testify for the prosecution.

Attorneys for Little waived their opening statement until they begin presenting their case later in the trial.

Jurors are expected to begin viewing hours of graphic videos this afternoon.

Jurors will have to determine whether the videos violate obscenity standards of the Tampa area community.