Porno DVD man sentenced in Llanelli
A Llanelli businessman has been sentenced to a community order for offering to supply pornographic and counterfeit DVDs.
Reginald John Protheroe pleaded guilty at Llanelli Magistrates Court to possessing an unclassified video with intent to supply, five offences of possessing counterfeit videos, and three Trade Mark offences.
Robert Edgecombe, prosecuting on behalf of Carmarthenshire County Council, said that the offences were committed in Mansel Street, Llanelli, on October 28 last year. Police became suspicious of a transit van, stopped it and carried out a search. There were legitimate DVDs in the back but 45 other DVDs under a blanket on the passenger’s seat. The driver was arrested.
Protheroe was the owner of the business and co-operated with the trading standards officers who had taken over the investigation from the police.
He said that 26 of the 45 DVDs were pornographic and had not been certified by the BBFC for distribution in the UK. A further 19 were counterfeits of legitimate non-pornographic films, some of which had not yet been released on DVD. He said they would have been made available to well known customers and friends.
Richard Morgan, for Protheroe, of Maes Penrhyn, Pemberton, Llanelli, said that he had told the officers that he was responsible for the films, not the driver. He had fallen into the trap of buying fake DVDs.
“They were bought as samples to gauge what would do well on the market. He fell foul of the law by renting them to well known customers,” he said.
Protheroe had been renting and hiring out videos for about 26 years but was now in poor health and had given up the business.
Fifty nine-year-old Protheroe was sentenced to a 12-month community order, and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work in the community. He was ordered to pay £1,185 costs and an order was made for the DVDs to be destroyed.
Council executive board member for public protection Councillor Pam Palmer said: “The case is proactive in dealing with counterfeit and pornographic material. We will continue to be active in tackling such problems.”
Reginald John Protheroe pleaded guilty at Llanelli Magistrates Court to possessing an unclassified video with intent to supply, five offences of possessing counterfeit videos, and three Trade Mark offences.
Robert Edgecombe, prosecuting on behalf of Carmarthenshire County Council, said that the offences were committed in Mansel Street, Llanelli, on October 28 last year. Police became suspicious of a transit van, stopped it and carried out a search. There were legitimate DVDs in the back but 45 other DVDs under a blanket on the passenger’s seat. The driver was arrested.
Protheroe was the owner of the business and co-operated with the trading standards officers who had taken over the investigation from the police.
He said that 26 of the 45 DVDs were pornographic and had not been certified by the BBFC for distribution in the UK. A further 19 were counterfeits of legitimate non-pornographic films, some of which had not yet been released on DVD. He said they would have been made available to well known customers and friends.
Richard Morgan, for Protheroe, of Maes Penrhyn, Pemberton, Llanelli, said that he had told the officers that he was responsible for the films, not the driver. He had fallen into the trap of buying fake DVDs.
“They were bought as samples to gauge what would do well on the market. He fell foul of the law by renting them to well known customers,” he said.
Protheroe had been renting and hiring out videos for about 26 years but was now in poor health and had given up the business.
Fifty nine-year-old Protheroe was sentenced to a 12-month community order, and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work in the community. He was ordered to pay £1,185 costs and an order was made for the DVDs to be destroyed.
Council executive board member for public protection Councillor Pam Palmer said: “The case is proactive in dealing with counterfeit and pornographic material. We will continue to be active in tackling such problems.”
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