A California couple has entered into a plea agreement in an important pornography case.

The defendants are Robert Zicari and Janet Romano, who own Extreme Associates. Pat Trueman, [pictured] special counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund, explains that the company specialized in very extreme videos.

“Hence the name Extreme Associates,” says Trueman. “Their videos involve scenes of violence against women.”

In August 2003, Zicari and Romano were indicted on ten counts, but entered the pleas on one as part of the agreement. The attorney is not surprised the couple is avoiding a trial. “Virtually every case charging a pornographer over the last 20 years has resulted in a guilty verdict — and this would have as well,” he says.

No porn smallTrueman, a former Justice Department pornography prosecutor, was asked what sentence the pair might face. “I think you could expect anywhere from eight months up to four years as a penalty in this case,” he replies.

The ADF attorney adds that the presiding judge, in his opinion, is soft on porn and would likely only provide a maximum penalty due to the violence in the videos.

Zicari and Romano were indicted after an undercover U.S. Postal Service inspector purchased pornographic videos through a members-only website in late 2002.