in june 2007, ashley alexandra dupré alleged that francis and his company filmed her without permission, but she dropped her lawsuit after francis released footage showing her consent. the following year, four women sued girls gone wild for allegedly filming them as minors. francis represented himself for part of the trial, until the judge cited him for contempt of court and fined him $2,500 for asking a plaintiff during cross-examination if she was a prostitute. francis hired two lawyers that same day to represent him for the duration of his trial. francis ultimately pleaded no contest to child abuse and prostitution charges.