53 Year Old Nudist in Palm Beach County, FL Arrested … Claims Pics of 3 Daughters not Child Porn, But Instead “Regular Family Portraits of a Naturist Family”

Child Porn or Nudist pics, you make the call …

53 year old Brian Martens has been arrested and charged one count of producing child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography after having taken “pornographic” pictures of his 3 young daughters and sharing them with other men. It appears that Martens is proving a different and pathetic kind of defense stating that the pics were not child porn, but instead the pictures “are regular family portraits of a naturist family.” Hmm, Brian Martens may also have land to sell you in the Everglades …  Martens is a former resident of the Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort in Loxahatchee Groves, FL. However as reported at ABC News, federal magistrate Judge Bill Matthewman said in court on Wednesday that the images of the girls, aged 8 to 12, were suggestive enough that Martens should stand trial.  Judge Bill Matthewman said that many of the photos the court has reviewed are lascivious and they are, in the court’s opinion, sexually explicit.”  If convicted Martens faces a maximum sentence of 30 years for producing child pornography and an additional 20 years if convicted of receiving child porn.

A South Florida nudist, arrested on charges that he helped take pornographic photographs of his three young daughters and shared them with other men, is putting on an unusual defense.

Brian Martens, 53, who was living at a nudist colony in Palm Beach County, is arguing that there is nothing pornographic about the pictures and that they are regular family portraits of a naturist family.

Federal prosecutors say they believe several of the photographs are clearly inappropriate and the final judgment call should lie with a trial jury. A grand jury has already voted there was enough evidence to indict Martens on one count of producing child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography.

The three girls have been taken away from Martens by the Florida Department of Children & Families following Vanaman’s arrest. The children are currently in foster care; however, Martens’ attorney said the girls will be returned to their mother in Illinois, who knew about and supported their decision to live in a nudist community. Great, sounds like they are headed to another irresponsible parent.

Professional photographer, Leslie Grey Vanaman, who  owned A Shade of Grey Photography was already tried and convicted of child porn and is currently serving a 60 year sentence.

Vanaman is serving 60 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of receiving and possessing child pornography — including the photographs of Martens’ daughters and other children, prosecutors said. Vanaman already had a 2004 state conviction in New Jersey of possessing child pornography downloaded from the Internet, court records show.

For what it is worth, Marten’s defense attorney James Eisenberg, never gave his permission for the explicit pic of a close-up shot of one of the girl’s genital area to be shot. Reports say that the father cried when he was shown the pictures; however, upon review Marten’s computer shows a much, much different story.

Marten’s attorney James Eisenberg agreed that one of the photographs is child pornography — one the judge described as a close-up shot of one of the girl’s genital area — but said his client did not know the photograph was taken and never gave his permission for it to be shot. Martens hired a professional family photographer to take family portraits, Eisenberg said.

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“He cried as he viewed the images,” Galler said.

Martens told the agents he only gave permission for Vanaman to take naturist photos.

But further analysis of Vanaman’s computer revealed a very different story, Galler told the judge. Martens had signed releases and received on several occasions more than 50 photographs that contained child pornography of the three girls taken between 2010 and 2012, Galler said.

Agents also found emails between Martens, Vanaman and a third man in which they discussed Vanaman’s “craft” and “the sensuality and sexuality” of the images.