Red Rose Indicted for Obscenity Over Stories About Children

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — A federal grand jury has returned an indictment for a woman accused of disseminating alleged obscene fictional stories on her website describing the torture and sexual abuse of children.

U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced the charges Wednesday, saying that Karen Fletcher, who uses the pen name “Red Rose,” violated federal obscenity laws despite the fact that no pictures of children were displayed on the site.

"Use of the Internet to distribute obscene stories like these not only violates federal law, but also emboldens sex offenders who would target children," Buchanan said.

Buchanan said Fletcher’s site contained free excerpts of stories featuring child sex, murder and torture, with the full-length stories available to users for a fee.

Fletcher was charged with one count for each of six stories that involved the kidnapping, torture, sexual molestation and murder of children nine years and younger.

Federal agents executed a search warrant at Fletcher’s home in August 2005, seizing her computer. At the time she told authorities that she writes the bulk of the site’s stories, with about 40 other people contributing to the site as well.

According to an FBI search warrant affidavit, Fletcher told authorities that about 29 people had paid $10 per month in membership fees. She also described her work to law enforcement officers as a “fantasy site.”

If convicted, Fletcher faces a statutory maximum of 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine, but the actual sentence would be dictated by federal sentencing guidelines.

In 2003, Buchanan, a long-time proponent of Internet obscenity prosecutions, brought charges against Robert Zicari and his wife Janet Romano, who co-own Chatsworth, Calif.-based Extreme Associates. Both film content under the names Rob Black and Lizzie Borden.

The long-running federal obscenity case against Zicari, Romano and Extreme Associates is awaiting trial in U.S. District Court Judge Gary Lancaster’s courtroom for the second time after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear the case on appeal.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

AV Bulletin: Age Verification Hits the Mainstream, Ofcom Sets a Date

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the country. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, AV tech providers continue to tout their services, and legal challenges continue to play out in the courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

Arcom Reports Age Verification Enforcement Actions Against 5 Adult Sites

French media regulator Arcom released a statement Tuesday detailing recent actions to enforce age verification rules as set forth under France’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law.

Ron Jeremy's Accusers Reach Settlement With Rainbow Bar & Grill

The Rainbow Bar & Grill has reached confidential settlements with a group of women who filed a negligence lawsuit against the Sunset Strip restaurant over alleged sexual assaults committed by Ron Jeremy, according to Rolling Stone.

Sportsheets Joins FSC as Gold Member

Sportsheets has joined Free Speech Coalition (FSC) as a Gold-level member.

AV Bulletin: Two End Runs, Two Failed Bills

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the country. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, AV tech providers continue to tout their services, and legal challenges continue to play out in the courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

FSC Helps Defeat Colorado AV Bill

Free Speech Coalition (FSC) has announced that, with its help, Colorado's recently introduced age verification bill has been defeated.

Missouri AG Bypasses Legislature, Declares Age Verification Rule

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Wednesday announced a new state regulation requiring adult sites to implement age verification of users, bypassing the legislative process in a strategy not seen before in state-level efforts to mandate age verification.

Attorney Corey D. Silverstein Launches 'Q&A Series' on Social Media

Adult industry attorney Corey D. Silverstein has launched a Q&A series on his social media platforms.

'Over the Top' North Carolina Bill Could Play Havoc With Adult Sites

A bill filed in the North Carolina state Assembly on Monday would impose new rules that industry observers warn could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Swedish Government Proposes Ban on Purchasing 'Remote' Sexual Services

The Swedish government has asked the country’s Parliament to amend Swedish law so that current laws against purchasing sexual services would also apply to acts performed remotely by cammers, streamers and custom content creators.

Show More