Plea deal in St. George porn case

ST. GEORGE — A plea deal has been reached in the case of a business owner arrested in connection with a pornography raid.

Court records show that Susan Russell, 55, reached a plea in abeyance with Washington County prosecutors on Nov. 15. She pleaded guilty to a single count of distribution of a pornographic film, a third-degree felony. In exchange, prosecutors dismissed five other charges.

Russell was sentenced to 36 months' probation and ordered to commit no other violations of the law. If she complies, the case ultimately will be dismissed.

An employee who also was charged in connection with the case, Clifford Whittaker, 23, had criminal charges dismissed against him in June, court records said.

In 2006, St. George police raided Russell's tattoo and body piercing studio, alleging the business sold hard-core pornographic materials out of a back room. Police seized "thousands" of books, magazines, movies and sex toys.