‘Girls Gone Wild’ founder faces tax charge

Joe Francis currently in Floria jail for contempt of court

Matt Sayles / AP	"Girls Gone Wild" creator Joe Francis also faces legal problems in California where his probation for violating federal laws designed to prevent the sexual exploitation of minors could be revoked.

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updated 11:43 a.m. ET May 11, 2007

PENSACOLA, Fla. - A federal judge ruled Thursday that the multimillionaire founder of the Girls Gone Wild empire should be sent to Nevada to face charges there once he finishes serving a jail sentence in Florida.

Joe Francis, 34, should be released from Bay County custody Tuesday after serving a 35-day sentence for contempt of court. Florida prosecutors want Francis to remain in custody for unresolved 2003 criminal charges involving filming minors in sexual situations on Panama City beach.

But Federal Magistrate Judge Larry Bodiford ruled that Francis should first face federal tax evasion charges in Reno, Nev.

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Joe Grammer, a spokesman for State Attorney Steve Meadows, said the state would appeal Bodiford's ruling to U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak. Francis has repeatedly clashed with Smoak over a federal civil lawsuit involving the filming of underaged girls.

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Grammer said Florida authorities believe Francis should remain behind bars even if he is sent to Nevada.

"Our position is that there are outstanding warrants that remain. If the judge in Nevada says that he will be let out on bond, there is still an active warrant in Florida and that would keep him from being released," he said.

Francis also faces legal problems in California where his probation for violating federal laws designed to prevent the sexual exploitation of minors could be revoked.

Calls to Francis' two Los Angels-based attorneys and his public relations firm were not returned Thursday. Francis makes an estimated $29 million a year from videos of young women in sexually provocative situations.

Smoak ordered Francis jailed during negotiations in a civil lawsuit brought by the women who were underage when they were filmed by his company in 2003.