It's causing no end of embarrassment for the SFPD and the
Sheriff's Department, but a cop couple caught moonlighting in a 45-minute porn
video are probably going to hold on to their badges.
Their star turn isn't exactly doing wonders for their careers, however -- at
least the ones where they wear their uniforms.
The male cop who stars in the boffing extravaganza, Officer Darryl Watts, is off
his Tenderloin beat and now is working a desk.
His female film partner, Kelly Francisco -- an institutional cop who works for
the Sheriff's Department -- remains on the job at San Francisco General Hospital
but could be in hot water with the bosses who look out for the department's
image. They suspect she has made at least four videos, attended adult film
conventions and, until recently, had her own adult Web site under the stage name
Reina Leone.
The pair sent both shock waves and giggles throughout station houses this week
when they were discovered to be the protagonists of "Bus Stop Whores," a
hard-core romp apparently filmed in Los Angeles and now available on the
Internet.
In one scene, the 29-year-old Francisco -- who goes by the name Mira in the
video -- solicits a sex act for $500.
She and Watts, 27, then vigorously proceed to demonstrate a variety of full
cavity search techniques not found in the standard police manual.
Since the video surfaced Friday -- and began making its way to various news
outlets -- both the police and the sheriff's departments have opened misconduct
inquiries.
And at the same time, they've done their best to keep a straight face.
"The department has immediately initiated an investigation to determine if there
is any violation of department rules and procedures or if any criminal
misconduct has occurred,'' said SFPD Officer Maria Oropeza, who has been
fielding calls and appearing before a string of TV cameras.
"This is disgusting,'' was the e-mail message we got from one viewer, who sent
us a copy of the Web link to the couple's video.
But some in the department were a little looser in their assessments.
Images Of Kelly Francisco
See A Clip From Bus Stop Whores
"Hey, this is San Francisco -- what do you expect?'' said Sgt.
Joe Garrity, who worked out of the same station as the porn cop.
"Personally, I haven't seen the movie -- but then I'm more of a Disney kind of
guy,'' Garrity said.
He added, "But from what I hear, Brad Pitt doesn't have anything to worry
about.''
And if legal precedent holds true, the naked pair might not have all that much
to worry about either.
In January, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco overturned
the firing of a San Diego cop who was canned in 2001 for making and selling
explicit videotapes of himself -- just himself -- on EBay.
A federal judge rejected the officer's claim that the video was protected free
speech. But the appeals court disagreed, saying the tapes were made while the
man in blue was off duty and didn't interfere with the Police Department's
running an efficient and nondisruptive workplace.
Not that the San Francisco pair are entirely out of the woods.
If, for example, they made money from their Web venture, they would be required
to disclose what they were up to and get permission from their bosses for the
second job.
Plus, both the police and sheriff's departments have regulations prohibiting
employee conduct that brings discredit to the uniforms they wear.
Even when they're stark naked?
"Absolutely,'' said Sheriff Michael Hennessey. "My department logo is all over
the press in a discrediting fashion.''
We couldn't reach Watts or Francisco directly for comment. But a man who
described himself as a family friend of Francisco's did return a message we left
on her personal cell phone.
Speaking for both co-stars, he said Watts and Francisco had hired lawyers and
had been advised not to comment during the investigation.
"Both are having a hard time with this, and having it plastered on the news
isn't helping matters,'' he said.
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