This is a partial transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," September 12, 2006, that has been edited for clarity.
ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: The creators of the successful "Girls Gone Wild" series plead guilty today, or they pled guilty for violating a federal law meant to prevent the sexual exploitation of children. The creators failed to maintain age and identity documents for performers in the sexually explicit films they produced and distributed.
Joining us now, Florida prosecutor Pam Bondi and defense attorney Michelle Suskauer.
Michelle, are these an example of exploited young people being taken advantage or are these people who are old enough and able enough to make their own decisions?
MICHELLE SUSKAUER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: That's the exact point. This law really wasn't created for teenage girls on spring break who are knowingly flashing a video camera. This is really to protect younger children against exploitation.
So I think this really was sort of very misguided and misdirected. But they're trying to set an example here. That's what they're doing.
COLMES: Pam, that doesn't mean they weren't exploited. These are women. They're knowingly going out. They're getting drunk. They know what they're doing. Do they bear any personal responsibility for the kind of behavior we're seeing on the screen right now?
PAM BONDI, FLORIDA PROSECUTOR: Well, under this law it doesn't matter because they are minors. And I think this law is meant to send a bigger message to all these producers of these videos that you can't exploit minors. And that's what Project Safe Child is all about. And it fits the statute perfectly, even though I agree they are consensual participants.
COLMES: They're using Joe Francis as an excuse. The company supposedly has revenues of $40 million a year. He's being fined a couple of million dollars, a mere pittance compared to what he takes in. And he's high profile. How many other companies are going and doing this and flying under the radar?
BONDI: Well, Alan, this is the first case that they have prosecuted under this law. And it's a great law. It really is. Because what it does is it allows them to hit them in the pockets. And you know, companies like this, the only way to hit them is financially.
COLMES: But they're barely being hit. Michelle, you say it's a bad law being misapplied here?
SUSKAUER: No. I think it's a good law, but I think it's being misapplied, because I don't think that this is going to put all these other companies under.
This is not a new company. This has been going on for many, many years. And it's very, very popular. I don't think it's going to be a big difference to them. I think they're going to continue to do this.
Basically, what they're saying to this company is you can go about and film these girls as long as they're not minors and as long as you get their names and ages. So after they flash the camera, you have to go, "Excuse me. Can I please have your name and your age for our records?"
COLMES: All right. Pam, isn't this a slap on the wrist? A couple of million dollars, it's nothing compared to what this company makes. They're slapping them on the wrist. Are they going to really go away and stop doing this as a result of this?
BONDI: Well, I think it helps with future compliance, because yes, this is a $40 million a year company, and they got them for $2.1 million. But for the next three years they're monitoring their books so that they have to be in compliance. And many of these girls are underage. That's going to hurt their business.
SEAN HANNITY, CO-HOST: Pam, as I watch this one lesson I'm learning right off the top is no spring break for my kids, period.
BONDI: That's right.
COLMES: They'll never get out of the house.
HANNITY: Yes. No, they're not getting out of the house. Colmes is right. We actually agree on that.
BONDI: That's right.
HANNITY: Look, Michelle, there are age consent laws. If you're going to make a film, you're going to make money off something like that, you have the responsibility to know whether or not these kids, a lot of young kids sneak off into spring break with the older kids. They have fake ID. You have a responsibility to know that they're not underage. You can't say, "Your honor, I didn't know she was 14." Right?
SUSKAUER: You're right. No, no, I agree. There's age responsibility in a lot of things. And a lot of sexual consent issues. But you also have some responsibility. The parents have some responsibility, too. You don't just send your kid off to Daytona.
HANNITY: I agree with that. I had great parenting. But you're going to make money off these girls while they're drinking and they're making a decision that they may regret for the rest of their life. You've at least got to know they're not 14 or 15.
SUSKAUER: No, I agree. I agree. But I think, you know, when you get into that 16, 17, which you know, you have a lot of these kids on spring break, I think that is where what we're talking about here. But still, you do bear responsibility. They are benefiting monetarily. So yes.
But I think that this is still not going to put their company under. You know it's just a little slap on the wrist. And they're going to keep doing this. These are wildly popular videos.
HANNITY: You know, I guess, Pam, the sad reality of this, though, is if you look in most instances they appear, from what I can see in this film, they appear to be drinking.
BONDI: Intoxicated.
HANNITY: You've got to wonder at some point how many of these girls wake up the next day: "What do I do?" Or the film eventually comes out and friends of theirs see it and they say, "What do I do?" at that point. And there's no recourse for them, is there?
BONDI: Sure. No, there's not. Or friends of their parents. Can you imagine that?
HANNITY: So what are friends of their parents watching it for?
SUSKAUER: What are they doing watching that?
BONDI: Yes. Sean, it's like you said. These are all economically driven crimes. And the only way to change the behavior is to hit them financially. And again, they're going to be able to monitor their books for the next three years. And I think they're going to have a hard time getting legitimate over 18 girls to participate.
HANNITY: All right. But Pam Bondi, what are you going to do if your 16-, 17-year-old daughter, first year in college, wants to go on spring break? What's your answer?
BONDI: Lock her up and not let her go. Are you kidding? Not these days.
HANNITY: I'm with you. Michelle, you're going to say: "Go ahead, darling. Have fun"?
SUSKAUER: No, no. And I have some daughters. But you know, I think, you're going to see these companies maybe moving to Europe. And I don't know if they already do "Girls Gone Wild" in Paris. And, San Tropez, you know.
COLMES: Thank you both very much, Michelle and Pam.
SUSKAUER: Thank you.
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