‘Girls Gone Wild’ Founder IDs Alleged Attacker in Court
LOS ANGELES, CA – Joe Francis has seen a lot of young women go wild in front of his camera, but when Darnell Riley allegedly went wild on him, there were no wild girls present. There was, however, a gun. As Francis recalls, it was pointed at his head.The 32-year-old millionaire behind the “Girls Gone Wild” video series identified Riley in court as the man who he claims threatened, frightened, humiliated, and robbed him in his own Bel-Air mansion last year. According to Francis, he had returned home from a night of partying only to be surprised by Riley, who made his way into the home and ultimately forced Francis to partially disrobe and appear in a short but degrading video sequence that he claimed would be aired on the internet.
In addition to the humiliation and fear factors, Francis recounted to Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Bernard F. Kemper how Riley took $1,100 in cash, his watch, and his cell phone – and then demanded more.
“He said, ‘I need $100,000 in cash right now or you’re going to die,’” Francis testified while explaining the events that took place over a period of hours.
The video tape, which depicts a clearly intoxicated or otherwise altered Francis mumbling about his love for receptive anal sex, has been viewed by authorities and been declared humiliating but not evidence of a sexual assault.
The evening ended for Francis bound and gagged with duct tape inside of his Bentley, which was abandoned near Sunset Boulevard.
During the next four days, Riley allegedly called Francis multiple times demanding between $300,000 to $500,000 in exchange for the video. The police ultimately received the tip that lead to Riley’s arrest from Francis’ ex-girlfriend Paris Hilton, who reported information that she gained from a conversation she had overheard during a party.