Hollywood- "Girls Gone Wild" video empire owner Joe Francis was charged with misdemeanor sexual battery today for allegedly touching an 18-year-old woman's breast, buttocks and inner thigh repeatedly during a party in January at a Hollywood eatery.
Francis, who on Monday in a separate case was sentenced to 35 days in prison by a federal judge for criminal contempt, is slated to be arraigned May 22, said Frank Mateljan, a Los Angeles city attorney spokesman.
FOR THE RECORD – An earlier version of this story gave an incorrect date for the birthday party at which the incident allegedly took place. Also, the name of attorney Jan Handzlik was misspelled.
Francis faces up to six months in jail if convicted.
Mateljan said that during a Jan. 20 birthday bash at the Geisha House, an upscale Japanese restaurant, Francis was seated next to the woman. "Over the course of the evening he touched her breast, buttocks and inner thigh inappropriately 10 times despite being repeatedly told by the victim not to touch her," Mateljan said. "Another guest overheard her complain."
Mateljan said within days the woman filed a report with the LAPD.
Francis, a Santa Monica-based multimillionaire who has made a fortune selling risque videos of scantily clad women, was arrested recently by federal marshals when he failed to meet a deadline to appear in a Florida court case.
Separately, Francis was indicted on two counts of tax evasion by a federal grand jury in Reno. Francis is accused of deducting more than $20 million in false expenses on corporate income tax returns filed in 2002 and 2003 by two of his companies.
Jan Handzlik, an attorney for Francis, criticized the announcement of the new charges. "When it rains it pours," he said. "The timing of this isn't coincidental. The incident upon which this is based is over 3 months old."
"Amid Joe's other legal problems this is certainly not helpful," Handzlik added.
