The Memory Hole > FBI Investigative Report on Porn Films in 1972-3

FBI Investigative Report on Porn Films in 1972-3

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(Acrobat/PDF format | 42 pages | 3.6 meg)

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>>> This previously unseen FBI file pertains to the investigations of porn films in 1972 and 1973. One of the subjects of interest was Deep Throat, which went on to become the most well-known skin flick of all time.

Although focused largely on Washington DC, the file also contains related material from other field offices "investigating" porno, as well as directives from FBI headquarters.

M.R. received this file in early 2004 via a Freedom of Information Act request. I scanned it and created the above PDF file in March 2004. You may recall that it was during this time that I posted the photographs of flag-draped coffins returning to Dover AFB from Iraq [here], triggering massive news coverage. This file got buried.

But now is the perfect time to dust it off and post it. Two recent news articles reveal that jailing pornographers who work with consenting adults is now a top priority - if not the top priority - for the Justice Department and the FBI.

These 33-year-old reports by agents who went into adult theaters to watch hardcore sex films are suddenly relevant again. Soon, the FBI will once again be cranking out reports just like these, except instead of sitting in sticky theaters with the raincoat brigade, they'll be in their offices watching DVDs or streaming video.

Remember, when 9/11 happened, the FBI was busy trying to take down a whorehouse in New Orleans [here]. If another terrorist attack happens in the US, we can rest assured that the FBI was dutifully watching Anal Intruders #45.

A note on the quality. Some of the pages are hard to read. Mostly this is because the source documents were blurry, but the small resolution I used for scanning doesn't help. (I was still learning the best way to scan text documents back then.) Unfortunately, the paper documents are still in God-knows-which box from my last move. Whenever I find them, I'll rescan them at a higher resolution.

Related Info

"U.S. Attorney's Porn Fight Gets Bad Reviews" [Daily Business Review via Law.com]

"Recruits Sought for [FBI] Porn Squad" [Washington Post]

"I guess this means we've won the war on terror," said one exasperated FBI agent, speaking on the condition of anonymity because poking fun at headquarters is not regarded as career-enhancing. "We must not need any more resources for espionage."

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