March 1, 2006 | The Biz

Cobra sues 'underage' model

Sean Lockhart may have a sweet face, but looks can be deceiving, at least according to Cobra Video which filed a federal lawsuit against him and others Feb. 7. The suit alleges trademark infringement and breach of contract stemming from the  model's claims that he was underage while filming for Cobra.

In a twist that signals the situation could become very nasty, Lockhart's lawyer,  Chad Belville, claims that Cobra is using litigation against his client to keep the other underage models from coming forward. "Already, four boys have come to me claiming to have worked for Cobra underage, none willing to come out publicly due to fear of repercussions from Cobra," Belville told AVN.

In a Feb. 13 press release, Cobra said Lockhart had misappropriated his trade name, Brent Corrigan, to "compete in bad faith" against the studio. It insinuated, as well, that Lockhart had fabricated claims that he was underage while filming four Cobra titles in order to break his contract with the company.

"This asserts Cobra's zero tolerance policy for infringements of their business rights as well as those who would allege fraud and violate business practices," Cobra said, according to GAYVN.

Cobra's lawsuit is the second in a string of actions by the studio against Lockhart, who says he used forged identification to get an early start in porn. In October, the studio filed a motion requiring Lockhart to appear in a Pennsylvania court on Dec. 6 for a deposition with a certified copy of his birth certificate.

Lockhart was a no-show, however, fueling Cobra's assertions that he is lying about his age. The studio points to his continued refusal to supply the company or the court with a certified birth certificate as proof that his claims are false.

"One way or another, Sean Lockhart appears to have committed serious crimes," said Jeffrey Douglas, Cobra's attorney. "Either he feloniously obtained a Washington State driver's license or he committed fraud on Cobra and all retailers of Cobra's products in order to break a binding contract."

Cobra is seeking unspecified damages and injunctive relief, which is not nearly as fun as it sounds.

• Cobra Video ratchets up offensive against underage model [GAYVN News]
• Previously: Cobra sues former model; Cobra star: I was underage