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BDSM website arrest - 10/8/2006 5:31:28 PM   
DOM33416


Posts: 61
Joined: 7/12/2006
Status: offline
I ran across this article on the internet ~

ENFIELD, Conn. - A woman who operates a fetish adult Web site is facing criminal charges of promoting prostitution and violating local zoning regulations by operating a business in a residential area.

Michelle Silva, 44, posted $30,000 bond last Thursday and is scheduled to appear in Superior Court on June 27, according to the Hartford Courant.

Silva said she was surprised at the charges and that she will seek a trial to prove her innocence.

Enfield Police Chief Carl J. Sferrazza said Police began investigating Silva in January 2005 when they received an anonymous letter from someone Silva suspects was a competitor to her Web business. Police officers had searched her home on Nov. 16, seizing a number of fetish toys and other items along with seven computers.

The chief said she is facing multiple counts of promoting prostitution and of zoning violations. He would not elaborate on the charges.

Although her Web site is still online, Silva said she doesn?t produce videos anymore due to her legal troubles.

Silva said her business made between $5,000 to $6,000 per month at its height, but now says she only makes about $500.

Silva told the newspaper that she produced all the bondage and domination videos at home except for one which was made in Arizona. She added that all the models were paid.


_____________________________

"Waiting is a trap. There will always be reasons to wait. The truth is, there are only two things in life, reasons and results, and reasons simply don't count."
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RE: BDSM website arrest - 10/10/2006 3:15:47 PM   
MisPandora


Posts: 2911
Joined: 4/7/2004
From: Philadelphia, PA
Status: offline
It wasn't just video production.....

http://www.ncsfreedom.org/media/update/2006/MediaUpdate070206.htm
Scroll down to the part mentioning new info on dominatrix case.

http://www.bdsmwatch.com/archives/fetish_and_the_law/more_on_michelle_silva.php
There are a number of links to the previous stories on that developing case.

http://empressm.net/
Her website is still up.  It'd give me the impression that she was doing pro sessions.  And, to advertise that you do strapon in a state that doesn't allow penetrative acts for compensation.....that's not all too smart.

And I had to dig through my old emails, but she'd sent out a plight to other people in the community that discussed what happened from her perspective:
***************************************************************
"On Wednesday, November 16th, 2005 at 2pm my business and home was raided by the CT local and state police. The door bell rang, “I asked who it is?” Before I could open the door, THEY pushed the door in yelling, “POLICE, SEARCH WARRANT!” Over a dozen officers entered. We were ordered to sit on the couch. We asked to see the warrant and they refused to show it to us.

They told us they were looking for something specific and told us not to worry about it, we would get to look at it when they finished the search.( WE NEVER SAW THE WARRANT) We were terrified because there were over 30 officers ripping apart my home and business confiscating everything they deemed as unusual such as my leathers, BDSM furniture, personal effects such as collars, entire inventory to my on-line store, fetish novelties, expensive snake skin hand made whips and floggers, all my fetish toys and many more items. While they packed the stuff in to boxes they were making remarks about how unusual it was to possess these strange items. They told us they did not know anything about BDSM.

At this point I noticed there were two, possibly three dozen officers in the house. They were making degrading and humiliating comments about the things they were taking. At the same time we were being questioned by the officer who was guarding us, about our fetish lifestyle. He picked up a fetish magazine and in a sarcastic tone asked me, “Did you make the cover?” He
then discovered my pictures in the magazine and then shouted, “Hey, they are in this magazine!” To which several officers began passing it around, making jokes and discriminating comments about our lifestyle tastes. I asked him if we were being arrested and he said no. We asked him why they were taking our things. The officer replied, “I’ll bet if we looked, 95 percent of the homes in town here would not look like this inside.” He added, “That makes it contraband and that is why we can take it during a search.” (These toys are legal in CT and can be found at a store right near our house).

They began asking questions regarding my adult based business claiming that I did not have a permit to run it. I told them that I had a permit from the town and was approved to run my adult BDSM and fetish websites as my business. I also have two rooms in which I shoot content for my sites. This is all documented and filed as an Adult based website with my town. We are
also 2257 compliant. I explained that I am in bankruptcy and have proven in court to the judge and the trustee the legitimacy of my business and all income from it. I have all the proper paper work as well as being approved to run my business.

No one was arrested. All my computers, two rooms of BDSM furniture and all my equipment for a total of 20,000 dollars worth of items were seized at the time. I did not get an itemized list for any of the items that were taken. They left without showing us the warrant, without telling us what they were looking for. I believe my rights have been violated.

(Again, to summarize):
They entered without showing me the warrant.  Never left a copy or showed me what was on it when they finished their search.  Made harassing comments about my lifestyle and degraded us for it. When we asked to use the phone with the intent to call a lawyer we were denied. They did not ask if we had any medical problems that would be affected by not allowing us to eat drink or if we took any medication. I asked to take my migraine medication after the whole incident started and was allowed to because it was prescribed to take every 4 hrs by my doctor. They told us that we could not eat or drink because we could claim that it caused a reaction from them giving it to us. For 5 hrs we were ordered to sit on the couch, while being denied water or food. They all got bottled water and some even had food while here. No one asked us if we needed a drink.
I needed to use the bathroom and was told that there were no woman officers here so they would call one. AFTER waiting another 30 minutes, I asked again to use the bathroom and was escorted by a male officer upstairs to the bathroom. He stood outside the door and told me that I could not close it all the way. To keep it half open. And I should not be embarrassed because I'm used to it because of my BDSM lifestyle. He laughed and said I hope you’re not going to charge me a tribute. This happened twice. They looked at fetish magazines and made comments about the fact I was on the cover of one and passed it around to others showing me on the inside. They teased us saying that our TV would look good down at the station and that they only took stuff that's not junk.  They continued to raid and invade my home but complained that it was getting late and that they wanted to go home. Dozens and dozens of police carried out all of our possessions for our business and personal life.
I also have a dog that has a medical condition and takes medication for nerves. They did not take him out at all, or give him fresh water or food. They kept him in the bathroom the whole time. No charges were made or arrest but I lost everything and will now lose my home due to not being able to make my trustee payment and my mortgage and bills.

I called the attorney that the Free Speech Coalition told me to call and I have a meeting set up with him on Monday at 4pm.  He said that there would be a retainer and that we could talk in detail on Monday.

I need to raise money for legal defense and get my computers and things back. This is urgent as my business is my sole source of income. What can I do to fight this? How do I move on? Where do I raise money for legal and living expenses? How do I get my stuff back? I still don't know why they picked my business to destroy. Originally the town approved it, we are now in
fear of them entering our home again without cause.  Please let us know what I would need to do to get help with my case before anyone else's rights are violated. We have hired a First Amendment attorney to fight this case. We need to be heard
so that we can protect others from this type of invasion of their rights."

_____________________________

Pandora
Ms World Leather 2004
Ms Philadelphia Leather 2004

"Simply put, if you want a real femdom to love you, give her reasons to love you." Gloria Brame

(in reply to DOM33416)
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RE: BDSM website arrest - 10/15/2006 1:13:20 PM   
dicipline2


Posts: 63
Joined: 5/4/2004
Status: offline
Miss Pandora,

your knowledge in this area impresses me. *smiles*

< Message edited by dicipline2 -- 10/15/2006 1:14:07 PM >

(in reply to MisPandora)
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RE: BDSM website arrest - 10/15/2006 3:19:05 PM   
MisPandora


Posts: 2911
Joined: 4/7/2004
From: Philadelphia, PA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: dicipline2

Miss Pandora,

your knowledge in this area impresses me. *smiles*

Really, it's nothing.  Anyone can do it.  Become a member of the National Coalition of Sexual Freedom and all of this activism stuff comes to your inbox!

_____________________________

Pandora
Ms World Leather 2004
Ms Philadelphia Leather 2004

"Simply put, if you want a real femdom to love you, give her reasons to love you." Gloria Brame

(in reply to dicipline2)
Profile   Post #: 4
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