Dennis RomeroSpread an STD, go to jail? In this case, the answer is yes.
The man widely believed to be behind the porn industry's syphilis scare last year, adult performer Mr. Marcus, was sentenced today to 30 days behind bars for “knowingly exposing at least two co-stars to syphilis after testing positive for the disease days earlier,” the L.A. City Attorney's office announced this afternoon:
The 42-year-old porn star, whose real name is Jesse Spencer, pleaded no contest to exposing someone to a communicable disease, the office said.
His case rocked the porn world and sparked a short moratorium on production at a time when the industry was being pressured to adopt mandatory condom use, something that is now law in most of L.A. county.
Mr. Marcus will also see 36 months probation and 15 days of community labor, prosecutors said.
Credit: Mr. Marcus / Facebook
See also: Porn Defends the Money Shot.
He's been behind bars since May 22 because of a recent DUI arrest, the City Attorney's office stated.
Mr. Marcus received a penicillin shot for syphilis July 13 and turned up positive in a follow-up screening July 21, the City Attorney's office states:
Spencer then altered the original form by obscuring the syphilis result on a photocopy.
He performed during two adult video shoots July 24 and July 26, prosecutors said. Two women who worked with him filed police reports alleging that he altered his test results, they said. The two did not come down with syphilis.
City Attorney Carmen Trutanich:
The potential spread of syphilis and other communicable diseases is a serious threat to our entire community. My office will continue to hold accountable those who place the health and welfare of others in danger in such a reckless and thoughtless manner.
Mr. Marcus subsequently said in response to the scare:
So now we're dealing with [syphilis] in our industry, and I'm the guy. I didn't want to be the guy, but I'm the guy.
Send feedback and tips to the author. Follow Dennis Romero on Twitter at @dennisjromero. Follow LA Weekly News on Twitter at @laweeklynews.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.