Porn makers dismiss Santorum attack as pandering

By JOHN ROGERS
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. porn industry's movers and shakers are accusing Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum of pandering to conservative voters with his vow to crack down on their business.

Santorum says the country is suffering from a pornography pandemic that is damaging people's brains, destroying marriages and leading to crimes like prostitution.

If president, Santorum says, he would crack down.

Santorum's charges are being dismissed as ``ridiculous'' by the CEO of the Vivid Entertainment Group, one of the industry's biggest porn makers.

Vivid Entertainment's Steven Hirsch says rape and teen pregnancy have decreased since the Internet made porn widely available.

Hirsch and Hustler publisher Larry Flynt say the reason there have been so few prosecutions of pornographers in recent years is because juries are not interested in convicting them. (Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.