G Media, the Australian company behind one of the web’s most popular adult websites, AbbyWinters.com, has been raided by Victoria police and it’s owner arrested. No charges have been laid.
According to The Herald Sun, computers containing footage of women allegedly performing explicit sex acts were seized by police because they are ‘illegal to produce in Victoria’. Under section 24 of the Victorian Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) (Enforcement) Act 199, a person must not, for the purpose of gain, make or produce an objectionable film.
What’s an objectionable film in Victoria?
Well that probably comes down to individual opinion more than anything, but the Act defines it as one that:
- describes, depicts, expresses or otherwise deals with matters of sex,
drug misuse or addiction, crime, cruelty, violence or revolting or
abhorrent phenomena in a manner that is likely to cause offence to a
reasonable adult; or - promotes, incites or instructs in matters of crime or violence; or
- is classified RC or X 18+ or would, if classified, be classified RC or
X 18+ or has been, or would be, refused approval, as the case
requires
Determining whether any of the content on Abby Winters is is objectionable will require lengthy review.
Other allegations:
Police are also investigating allegations that a model on the website was under age at time of filming. AbbyWinters displays a Title 18 USC ยง 2257 recording keeping compliance notice on their site and states all models are over 18 at the time of production, but The Herald Sun reports police have seen a copy of a driver’s licence of one G Media nude model, allegedly showing she was 17 when photographed.
What this means for the sites estimated 30 thousand paying members, especially those that reside Australia, I’m looking into. As of this evening AbbyWinters remains open.
The Herald Sun takes credit for the raids, suggesting they came after providing ‘police with a dossier of information about the allegedly illegal porn G Media, and companies associated with it, have churned out in Melbourne since about 2000.’
Despite a witch hunt by the same paper 2 years ago, Abby Winters remains well respected amongst the adult industry and consumers for presenting models in a positive and natural way.
Models respond:
One model posted on the site’s forum today that Abby Winters has been an amazing company with a lot of respect and strict protocols. Another said she arrived at Abby Winters headquarters at 8.30am Monday morning for her shoot and ‘walked right into the thick of it’. She said she was asked for her details, presumably by police.
Further comment is being sought.
Update: Garion Hall, director of G Media, has issued a statement.
