LOS ANGELES, CA — There are times when there appears to be no force on earth more determined to expose the unwilling and unwitting to hardcore pornography than anti-pornography groups – and no group less willing to make sure that it has its facts straight before making hysterical public accusations. Or maybe a member of Vivid Entertainment’s hidden fan base just got confused.Chief among the goals of Utah’s Lighted Candle Society “is to engage in litigation with the producers and distributors of pornography,” according to the group’s website. If the group’s fact checking is always as spot on as it was when it accused Vivid Entertainment of trolling for talent in Utah, it will likely achieve its dreams.

According to a statement from Vivid Entertainment LLC, the adult video production giant recently found itself in the position of informing the Lighted Candle Society that not only was it not scouting for hot Utahan legal tender, it wanted accusations that it was removed from the morality group’s website. Pronto.

Within 24 hours the false accusations were gone from LightedCandle.org.

John Harmer, the chairman of the Lighted Candle Society, had assured his followers via a “Defend Your Family” message and website petition that “Vivid Video is coming to Salt Lake City on Friday, March 7, 2008 to hold auditions for young women to appear in pornographic films.”

Warming to his subject during his cautionary plea for donations, Harmer went on to attest that “As published in their advertisement, the purpose of this audition is the act of soliciting for illicit sex and is a violation of Utah’s Pandering statute…”

Alas for Harmer, it was actually swimsuit maker Vivid Vixen that sought “non-professional females” via the local Craig’s List ad that inspired his panic.

Vivid Entertainment, upon learning of the misdirected smear campaign, did Harmer’s homework for him; assuring him not only that it had not taken out “the ad in question on Craig’s List” as well as pointing him to the Vivid Vixen website. Then the company told him to contact everyone whom he had previously misled and provide them with accurate information.