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The '''Obscenity Prosecution Task Force''' (OPTF) was an organization created in 2005 by the [[United States Department of Justice]]. The OPTF's job was to investigate and prosecute producers and distributors of [[hardcore pornography]] that meets the [[legal tests]] for [[obscenity]], as defined by the [[Supreme Court of the United States]].<ref name="bw2005">Staff report (November 21, 2005). An All-Out Assault On Sexual Content. ''[[BusinessWeek]]''</ref><ref name="abramson">Abramson, Larry (September 27, 2005). [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4865348 Federal Government Renews Effort to Curb Porn.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130013750/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4865348 |date=2018-01-30 }} ''[[Morning Edition]]'', [[National Public Radio]]</ref> The group was led by U.S. Attorney Brent Ward.<ref name=mainjustice>{{citation|url=http://www.mainjustice.com/2009/07/31/has-the-new-administration-gone-soft-on-porn/|title=Has the New Administration Gone Soft on Porn?|date=July 31, 2009|first=Joe|last=Palazzolo|work=Main Justice|access-date=May 31, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024085241/http://www.mainjustice.com/2009/07/31/has-the-new-administration-gone-soft-on-porn/|archive-date=October 24, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>
The '''Obscenity Prosecution Task Force''' (OPTF) was an organization created in 2005 by the [[United States Department of Justice]]. The OPTF's job was to investigate and prosecute producers and distributors of [[hardcore pornography]] that meets the [[legal tests]] for [[obscenity]], as defined by the [[Supreme Court of the United States]].<ref name="bw2005">Staff report (November 21, 2005). An All-Out Assault On Sexual Content. ''[[BusinessWeek]]''</ref><ref name="abramson">Abramson, Larry (September 27, 2005). [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4865348 Federal Government Renews Effort to Curb Porn.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130013750/https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4865348 |date=2018-01-30 }} ''[[Morning Edition]]'', [[National Public Radio]]</ref> The group was led by U.S. Attorney Brent Ward.<ref name=mainjustice>{{citation|url=http://www.mainjustice.com/2009/07/31/has-the-new-administration-gone-soft-on-porn/|title=Has the New Administration Gone Soft on Porn?|date=July 31, 2009|first=Joe|last=Palazzolo|work=Main Justice|access-date=May 31, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024085241/http://www.mainjustice.com/2009/07/31/has-the-new-administration-gone-soft-on-porn/|archive-date=October 24, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>


The task force was formed during the [[Presidency of George W. Bush]] to investigate hardcore pornography at the urging of [[social conservative]] groups.<ref name="glover20080609">Glover, Scott (June 9, 2008). [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-obscene9-2008jun09,0,4510463.story Upcoming trial will see hours of hard-core fetish pornography.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612002936/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-obscene9-2008jun09,0,4510463.story |date=2008-06-12 }} ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''</ref><ref name="Kay">Kay, Julie (August 30, 2005). [http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1125318960389 U.S. Attorney's Porn Fight Gets Bad Reviews.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051025081709/http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1125318960389 |date=2005-10-25 }} ''[[Daily Business Review]]''</ref> Notable cases were brought against [[Joseph R. Francis]]' [[Mantra Films, Inc.]] (''[[Girls Gone Wild (franchise)|Girls Gone Wild]]''), as well as producers [[Ira Isaacs]], [[John Stagliano]], and [[Max Hardcore]].<ref name="gross">Gross, Grant (July 25, 2007). [http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,135057-page,1/article U.S. Man Faces Online Porn Charges.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617225119/http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,135057-page,1/article |date=2008-06-17 }} ''[[PC World (magazine)|PC World]]''</ref>
The task force was formed during the [[Presidency of George W. Bush]] to investigate hardcore pornography at the urging of [[social conservative]] groups.<ref name="glover20080609">Glover, Scott (June 9, 2008). [http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-obscene9-2008jun09,0,4510463.story Upcoming trial will see hours of hard-core fetish pornography.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080612002936/http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-obscene9-2008jun09,0,4510463.story |date=2008-06-12 }} ''Los Angeles Times''</ref><ref name="Kay">Kay, Julie (August 30, 2005). [http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1125318960389 U.S. Attorney's Porn Fight Gets Bad Reviews.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051025081709/http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1125318960389 |date=2005-10-25 }} ''[[Daily Business Review]]''</ref> Notable cases were brought against [[Joseph R. Francis]]' [[Mantra Films, Inc.]] (''[[Girls Gone Wild (franchise)|Girls Gone Wild]]''), as well as producers [[Ira Isaacs]], [[John Stagliano]], and [[Max Hardcore]].<ref name="gross">Gross, Grant (July 25, 2007). [http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,135057-page,1/article U.S. Man Faces Online Porn Charges.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080617225119/http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,135057-page,1/article |date=2008-06-17 }} ''[[PC World (magazine)|PC World]]''</ref>


[[Eric Holder]], [[Barack Obama]]'s appointee for [[United States Attorney General]], dissolved the task force in spring 2011, leaving obscenity prosecutions to the [[United States Department of Justice Criminal Division]]'s [[Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section]].<ref name=shutdown>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53314.html |title=Eric Holder accused of neglecting porn fight |last=Gerstein |first=Josh |website=Politico |date=April 16, 2011 |accessdate=June 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430180031/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53314.html |archive-date=April 30, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[Eric Holder]], [[Barack Obama]]'s appointee for [[United States Attorney General]], dissolved the task force in spring 2011, leaving obscenity prosecutions to the [[United States Department of Justice Criminal Division]]'s [[Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section]].<ref name=shutdown>{{cite web |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53314.html |title=Eric Holder accused of neglecting porn fight |last=Gerstein |first=Josh |website=Politico |date=April 16, 2011 |accessdate=June 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430180031/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53314.html |archive-date=April 30, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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