17-year-old's self-portrait used in Porno DVD Cover

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17-year-old's self-portrait used in Porno DVD Cover

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uploaded by Rob Walker

Three years ago, Lara Coton took a self-portrait and uploaded the image to deviantart and flickr. Today, that image is being used as the front cover to a pornography DVD. The only problem is, Coton was 14 when the image was taken and she never gave permission for anyone to use her picture.

Coton, now 17, originally took the photograph on a digital camera with her mother's help while on holiday in Blackpool.

"I set the scene, styling and camera up and I simply asked her to help by pressing the button at the right time," said Cotton in an e-mail interview. "I hadn't got any models to practice on because I was just starting photography and it was more of an expirementation with light than anything."

Coton then placed a watermark with her deviantart name on it across the front of her dress (you can see where it was originally and how it is removed in the dvd cover in the linked picture). She first discovered her image was being used on a pornography dvd when someone from the deviantART community told her someone was using it on a blog as one of her favorite things.

Except the image wasn't linked to her DevianART profile, it was linked to a DVD entitled 'Body Magic' , a video made years ago by TVX Films, a pornographic video company based out of Texas. It was also being sold on Hustler.com. Coton's image had been used to replace (and supposedly update) the aging original cover.

"I was absolutely horrified," said Coton. "Especially at the fact that I was fourteen (at the time the picture was taken)."

Coton has since contacted the company but said nothing was resolved, on top of that the emails she as since allegedly gotten from a representative of TVX Films, haven't exactly been polite. (Caps are from the original post, made on Coton's flickr page).

"I’M SURE BY THE END OF THE MONTH YOUR FACE WILL BE HISTORY. WE HAVE STOPPED SELLING THE DVD UNTIL COVER IS REPLACED. WE HAVE FURTHER CHECKED OUT YOUR NAME AND ITS NOT LIKE IT’S A HOUSE WHOLE NAME. ACTUALLY, REMOVING YOUR IMAGE WILL HELP IMPROVE THE SELL OF THE DVD….. SO FAR IT BOMBED.".

Coton says the company claimed to have removed it and so far most of the links she has posted have shown the cover to be replaced with the older one, or removed all-together.

"I contacted Hustler immediately and they were very apologetic and removed it from sale immediately," said Coton. "I've had so much support through the media and off people - my story has been broadcasted on the radio and several different countries, local newspapers here in the UK, national newspapers and also on ITV central."

Coton says her parents were obviously upset about the situation, but that they support her completely.

"They support me 100 per cent," said Coton. "My mother was really angry when she found out."

At a loss as to what she should do, Coton has turned to the deviantART and flickr communities in attempt for help. So far over 580 people have commented on her flickr page.

"I feel like I cannot display this picture anymore in case someone knows
it from the movie," said Coton. "Or even the fact that someone THINKS im in the
movie and it gives me a bad name.."

Coton isn't sure what will happen next, her flickr account details her difficulties in obtaining legal representation, as she lives in the UK and the company is located in the US.