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Business & Tech

Local Porn Industry Clinic Targeted in Pornwikileaks Situation

Sherman Oaks-based AIM Medical Associates denies accusations it leaked private information.

A beleaguered health clinic servicing the adult film industry faces more problems after personal information about its patients was published on a website.

AIM Medical Associates P.C., at 4630 Van Nuys Blvd., formerly known as the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation, was reportedly believed to be the source of the leak to the site Pornwikileaks.com. The clinic denied being the  source of the leak, and said its database might have been accessed illegally.

“AIM Medical Associates, P.C. is investigating the possibility of a criminal breach of the medical record database," said AIM attorney Jeffrey J. Douglas in a statement to Patch.com. "Substantial amounts of information posted on the site in question could not come from the AIM database because we do not possess that information."

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Earlier this year, Netherlands-based Pornwikileaks.com published more than 12,000 names and birth dates of past and present porn-movie performers. AIM denies any link to the publishing of this information as some in the adult film community have alleged.

On Wednesday, Gawker.com posted an article claiming that information on Pornwikileaks.com came from AIM. That article was reportedly based largely on information from porn industry blog mikesouth.com and an actor in the adult industry.

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It is unclear who owns the site or runs it. They identify themselves, on the site, only as “an independent global group of people with a long standing dedication to the idea of a free press and the improved transparency in society that comes from this. The group  reportedly includes accredited journalists, software programmers, network engineers, mathematicians and others," Douglas said.

The clinic, which tests adult film performers for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, keeps that information available to film producers checking on the health status of their actors. Adult-film performers are required by law to be tested for HIV within 30 days of filming.

The clinic maintains any information that may have come from the clinic could be the result of an illegal breach of its database. 

“We are the victim of a very serious crime,” said AIM’s chief administrative officer. “Our legal team, along with the authorities, are investigating this matter as we speak.  We hope to have answers soon and press charges," said Dr. Sandra Mitchell.

This is the second time in four months the clinic has come under fire. In December, state health officials shut down AIM after denying its application to operate as a community clinic for business-related issues.

The Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation reopened a month later under its new name and a new owner.

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