Joe Francis, creator of the "Girls Gone Wild" video series franchise, was sentenced Tuesday to 270 days in jail and three years of probation for assaulting a woman in 2011 at his Los Angeles mansion, CBS News reports.
The 40-year old businessman was also ordered by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Nancy L. Newman to complete a course in anger management and attend 52 sessions of psychological counseling, as Deputy City Attorney Mitchell Fox told CBS News.
Back in May, Francis was convicted of five misdemeanor charges, including "three counts of false imprisonment, one count of assault causing great bodily injury and one count of dissuading a witness in connection with the Jan. 29, 2011 incident," CBS Local reports.
Prosecutors claimed that on Jan. 29, 2011, Francis took three women he had met at a college graduation party to his house before things escalated into violence. Francis grabbed one of the women by the throat and hair and slammed her head into the floor. The women were allegedly taken to his home against their will, having originally believed that Francis would take them to their car instead. Fox explained that Francis showed interest in one of the women he brought back to his house and tried to lead her away, but was angered when her friend tried to pull her back.
According to Fox, Francis then "jumped on the friend, took her to the ground, choked her, slammed her head against the ground, dragged her across the ground, and when she got back up, did it several more times." He warned the women not to contact the police, telling them that he "owns the police," though the women contacted authorities soon after they left his house.
Initially prosecutors asked for Francis to be sentenced to four years in jail, as Fox feels that Francis is "a danger to the community."
"He's had his way with ability to force people to comply with his wishes, he physically has been violent with people," Fox told CBS News.
Francis' attorney, Steve Levine, reported that he is appealing the decision, as key details in the case have been proven false.
"Joe has always maintained his innocence," Levine said, though he added that Judge Newman "still came to a very fair and measured decision."
According to Levine, Francis will be released from custody "soon after posting a $250,000 bail," and will remain a free man pending the appeal's outcome.
