Expert: Dan Pepper - 2/9/2012

Question
Dear Dan Pepper,

I am a resident of the state of Florida. I am looking to start a business where I can legally offer people to come and shoot a sexual fantasy scene with me while being recorded for them to either take home with them or a digital copy sent to their email. In essence, this would be a one person business, where I would be both the adult film star and the person recording the session with stationary equipment. I am sure this could be a complicated issue as this, if not done properly, could be construed as prostitution. What advice on licensing, record keeping, and any other nuances should I be aware of to legally move forward with this endeavor? It should be noted that my initial intention is to offer this service in a discreet setting; i.e. my personal residence. Would zoning issues come into question?

Thank you for your help.

Sincerely,
Ashlie

Answer
Ashlie,

This is an enormously risky venture, and could easily be considered prostitution, especially since you are creating a video record of the session.  I would NOT recommend setting it up as you've described.

Also note that Florida does not have any laws that specifically permit the production of pornography.

There may be a few options here, but I cannot give legal advice in this forum.  Feel free to contact me through my website at adultwebsitelawyer.com if you'd like to discuss further.

Dan