Teen sues in Tampa over image used to promote porno flick

TAMPA — An 18-year-old English photography student has filed suit in Tampa federal court charging a porn movie producer stole her self-portrait from her web site and used it to promote a hardcore porn DVD. Download the lawsuit (PDF)

Lara Jade Coton learned from a visitor to her photography web site that the image, a self-portrait she took at age 14, was on the cover of Body Magic, a hardcore pornography film by TVX Films.

"I was absolutely horrified to see my work and my own picture being used on that kind of a movie," Coton said in a statement released Tuesday by her Tampa attorney.

Richard A. Harrison, a lawyer with Allen Dell, P.A., of Tampa, filed the federal lawsuit in Tampa’s U.S. District Court, accusing Nevada-based TVX Films president Bob Burge and his company of a list of legal violations including copyright infringement, civil conspiracy, misappropriation of her image, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

"All of our kids our out there posting pictures on MySpace and Facebook," Harrison said. "A couple of clicks and somebody can copy it and something like this can happen."

In the picture, the aspiring photographer sits at a window wearing in a shoulder-baring dress, a top hat hiding her eyes.

Coton seeks damages, and wants the court to impound all copies of the movie and other materials bearing her image. A representative from TVX Films could not be reached at its offices late Tuesday.

Rebecca Catalanello, Times staff writer