Florida- How did Joe Francis score his release from jail over child abuse charges stemming from his alleged “adult” filming of two 17-year-old girls? By exposing Florida state attorney Steve Meadows showing child porn to ABC’s Nightline, he claims.

Meadows, who was running as much of a media blitz as Francis and his attorney Roy Black, was all too pleased to publicize his drawn-out capture of the Girls Gone Wild chief.

Which is why, when Nightline’s Martin Bashir (of Michael Jackson fame) came calling, Meadows had the tapes ready to show off. That was a mistake: If the footage of the 17-year-old girls was enough to get Francis to plead to a felony count (but not register as a sex offender) then it’s enough to make exhibiting the tape for TV news types just as illegal.

(So the story goes, only law enforcement authorities can view child porn, and only under the auspices of an investigation. Remember Kurt Eichenwald?)

For his part, Francis denies ever seeing the tape.

Though the obviously-bias Martin refused to testify against Meadows, invoking privilege, as to whether the attorney showed him the tape, the Nightline anchor has a thorough understanding of exactly what’s on the tape, including the size of the girls’ breasts.

Bashirt consistently refused to confirm whether Meadows showed him the tape then later admitted seeing a “considerable amount” of the footage.