Lakeland, Florida- Christopher Wilson, who is facing 301 obscenity charges for operating a pornographic Web site, is back in business.
After his Oct. 7 arrest by Polk County sheriff’s deputies, he posted bail, moved to Orange County and continued operating his Web site. Then, in a move that his lawyers called illegal pretrial detention, the State Attorney’s Office asked that his bail be revoked, and that he be held without bail until his trial, because he continued operating his Web site and allowed new pictures to be posted on it.
Judge Dale Durrance ordered Wilson’s bail revoked Dec. 17, and he spent the Christmas holidays in solitary confinement. Because he is a former police officer, it was considered dangerous for him to be in the general population. He was ordered released Dec. 29 by the 2nd District Court of Appeals.
Wilson had temporarily removed all adult content from his Web site, posting a message to his subscribers in which he said that he had been threatened with jail if he posted any more “obscene” content.
However, the adult content is now back, along with a message saying that freedom of expression has returned to the Web site (the name of which can’t be printed because it contains an obscenity).
Chip Thullbery, spokesman for the Assistant State Attorney’s Office, said Friday, “Law enforcement officials continue to review the Web site.” He declined to say whether any new charges would be pending because of the continued operation of the Web site.
Larry Walters, the First Amendment lawyer representing Chris Wilson, said he could not discuss what legal advice he gave his client about the continued operation of the Web site.