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> Just saw this on the L.A. news. A kid named Aaron Denno, whose screen
> name I didn't catch, has admitted he was under age when he made 40 gay
> porn movies. Denno got a fake id when he was 15 (and he looked 12 in
> the pictures) and started working.

His name is Jeff Browning. People are still checking out the story.

Well, not yet. While most studios have pulled his films, YMAC has yet to do so. YMAC won't pull anything until they have his birth certificate and proof of age. Letters have gone out to all video stores asking them to remove the films. Two I checked in Washington, DC have yet to do so, or receive any letter.

Actually, what has happened is this:

Browning apparently entered gay porn at the age of 15. He has used fake IDs (usually driver's license, and from various states) to prove his age, and has been claiming he is 18 since 1993. He even has a Web page up, at www.jeffbrowning.com, where he claims he is 18.

A while ago, Browning held an 18th birthday party at a club in Los Angeles. The club was known for permitting under-21 and under-18, and Browning invited many porn insiders as well as persoanl friends--oddly, most were under 18. Porn industry types began to be suspicious after the party, and several studios investigated. They were the ones who pulled the plug on his films.

Meanwhile, as the story broke inside the gay porn community, Browning went underground; no one could reach him. At least one distributor who contacted Browning via email got the answer that (sic) "I'm not answering any questions about my age and will only let my lawyer answer any questions." No name of the lawyer was given, and nothing else but a "thanks for checking out my Web page" was given.

That is where it stands now. The newsbreak on TV in LA is news to me, as is the FBI's involvement.

Just a personal note: The porn industry barely has been able to fend off attacks in Congress, whether Republican or Democratic. Onerous record-keeping, required in the wake of the Traci Lords scandal, has been fought in the courts, but this incident could be the death knell for a lot of studios. Congress can now claim that even when the studios see a driver's license or other records, "kiddie porn" is still being made. The courts, who at one time felt that the record-keeping requirements were too heavy, now will look at this incident and quite possibly will lean the other way and be prone to uphold record-keeping and other requirements.

In addition, with the enactment of the Child Porn Prevention Act of 1996 (which makes even the *appearance* of underage-ness a crime), we will see a de-emphasis on the "youth culture" in gay porn. Films like Bel Ami's and Falcon International's will disappear overnight as studios shy away from even the appearance of under-18.

Jeff Browning, you hurt the industry immeasurably. I hope you are happy.

See ya...

Tim #1