The District Attorney’s office and the National Police dismantled a gang that filmed minors supposedly to sell the videos abroad. The gang was arrested at the Apartahotel Plaza Colonial of Calle Julio Verne, where the police said the film-making took place. 37-year old Jose Sarmientos and 42-year old Franklin Christopher Jackson, both US citizens were arrested. The Police told the local press that these two paid minors RD$800 to pose naked for pornographic videoing sessions. They were asked to masturbate themselves, masterbate and caress the male models. The Police said the twosome would pay RD$500 to anyone who brought them a young girl for film-making. The Police also arrested 22 Dominicans for investigation. During a search at the Plaza Colonial, cameras, TV, VHS, condoms, vaseline, massage oil, pornographic magazines were found. Jackson was staying at the Hotel Jaragua where the police found porno magazines, condoms, video camera, among other equipment used in his hotel room, as per news reports. DA Francisco Domínguez Brito said that the two men would not be simply deported, as was the practice in the past. He said his office would press charges seeking that they serve their sentence in a Dominican jail. They could face a sentence of 20 years.
