Los Angeles

Man Faces Sentencing For Illegally Posting ‘Deadpool' on Facebook

"I didn't think how serious the crime was that was being committed."

A 22-year-old man faces possible prison time Thursday in Los Angeles for violating federal copyright law by posting the superhero flick "Deadpool" to his Facebook page days after it opened in theaters.

Trevon Maurice Franklin used the screen name "Tre-Von M. King" when he illegally uploaded the R-rated Marvel action film eight days after its February 2016 release, allowing it to be viewed for free on Facebook over six million times.

Franklin downloaded the Ryan Reynolds film from the free video streaming site Putlocker before uploading it to Facebook, according to his plea agreement filed in Los Angeles federal court.

The Fresno man pleaded guilty in June to a federal class-A misdemeanor count of criminal copyright infringement, which carries a possible penalty of up to a year behind bars and a $100,000 fine.

Government prosecutors, however, are asking that U.S. District Judge John A. Kronstadt sentence Franklin to six months in prison, followed by a year of supervised release. The defense agrees with a pretrial services recommendation of one year of probation.

In a letter to the court, Franklin said he regrets posting the movie, now realizing that "every action has its consequences. I didn't think how serious the crime was that was being committed."

Copyright CNS - City News Service
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