Bryan Kocis
Encyclopedia
Bryan Charles Kocis also known as Bryan Phillips, was the founder of and director for the gay
pornographic film studio Cobra Video
.
, Pennsylvania
. He attended Wyoming Valley West High School winning several scholarships, graduating in 1980. He was winner of a nationwide photography contest. He attended the Rochester Institute of Technology
. Upon graduation from RIT, he held a specialized position as a biomedical photographer for a local eye doctor in Kingston
, Pennsylvania
until the mid 1990s.
In the five years after his bankruptcy, he amassed a personal fortune that included a Maserati convertible, a BMW sport utility and a high-end, V8 Aston Martin
. According to deeds filed in the Luzerne County Courthouse, in addition to his Dallas Township
home, Kocis owned adjacent Rice Township
parcels. One acquired for $159,900 in 2004 and another bought for $225,000 in 2006. The documents show no mortgages against the properties. Neighbors said Kocis claimed he paid the full cash amount upfront for both.
. He was initially charged with child pornography
, and transportation of a minor for sexual purposes. Since the boy had lied about his age Kocis was given a probation sentence.Dallas Township man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of children
In 2006 a judge signed paperwork changing Kocis' charge from sex assault to corruption of minors. Kocis' former attorney, Al Flora, said the change was made because the original charge of sexual assault
of a child was a mistake and that, "We didn't realize there was an error until 2006." Flora said his former client was a legitimate businessman and not at all a pedophile. Kocis was not required to be registered as a Megan's Law
offender.
, Pennsylvania
home. According to the investigating coroner, Kocis was stabbed 28 times and his throat was cut, nearly decapitating him. His body was also left in the house before it was set on fire. A folding-style knife was found nearby. Officials had to use dental records to identify Kocis because his body was burned beyond recognition.
Believing the killer or killers had a "personal association" with Kocis, the Luzerne County District Attorney's office sought all of the electronic communication of the 44-year-old during the week prior to his death. Police theorized Kocis' text messages, e-mails and voice mails would lead them to whoever committed the murder. On the night of Kocis' death, police stated they believed he was expecting to meet with a "new model." This meeting was to occur at Kocis' Luzerne County home, according to newspapers in the area. Police further revealed that Kocis had e-mailed some photos of the alleged new model to "an associate" whom he notified of the upcoming meeting. That associate then contacted police after the murder and provided e-mails to them to aid them in their investigation.
John Yates, a California
attorney representing Sean Lockhart (Brent Corrigan
), a former model for Cobra Video who had been involved with a lengthy and rather public legal dispute, said Jan. 25, 2007, that police were trying to locate that man. A "light-colored" SUV was seen leaving the scene and was sought by police. Kocis and Lockhart had been embroiled in a bitter legal dispute since parting ways in 2005. Yates also represented Grant Roy in a suit Kocis filed in federal court. Police interviewed several of Yates' clients, including Lockhart.
Police released at least one photo of the unnamed model to the public Feb. 2, 2007. Within 24 hours, various blogs reporting this murder within their respective communities identified this man as an escort working for Norfolk Companions, a Virginia
-based escort service. The escort, going by the name "Harlow", had been identified in other blogs as possibly being the proprietor of the same company; the Virginia business licenses office listed Harlow Cuadra as the owner.
On May 15, 2007, two Virginia Beach
escorts, Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes, were arrested and charged with Kocis' murder. Police arrested the pair after discovering evidence on Kocis' computer, which had survived the fire. Police theorize they killed Kocis because they wanted to work with Sean Lockhart, an actor who was under contract to Kocis. According to police, in a January meeting, Cuadra alluded to the possibility of killing Kocis if necessary in order to go into production with Lockhart. Cuadra emailed Kocis, assuming the identity of an aspiring porn actor, and arranged to meet with him on Jan. 24, 2007. In the email, he asked if they could meet alone. Cuadra and Kerekes were shown on surveillance cameras buying a gun and knife at a local pawn shop. The knife is consistent with the one used to stab Kocis. Additionally, police have audio recordings of Cuadra saying, "Actually seeing that fucker going down, it's actually sick, but it made me feel better inside. It almost felt like I got revenge and I know that sounds fucked up." In a search of the pair's home, police also found video equipment which they believe belonged to Kocis.
At the preliminary hearing on August 27, 2007, a judge ruled that prosecutors had presented enough compelling evidence against the pair to warrant their being held for trial. A total of 14 witnesses, including two medical examiners, were questioned. Additionally, the judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to charge the pair with burglary and criminal conspiracy to commit burglary. This means that prosecutors were unable to seek the death penalty.
On Dec. 8, 2008, Kerekes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, theft, tampering with or fabricating evidence, and criminal conspiracy, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Jury selection for Cuadra's trial began Feb. 17, 2009, and the trial began a week later. On Feb. 27, Sean Lockhart (Brent Corrigan) testified for the prosecution about his dealings with Kerekes and Cuadra. Throughout the trial, Cuadra claimed that Kerekes controlled his life, equating their relationship with Stockholm syndrome
. He also claimed that Kerekes was the one who murdered Kocis and that he wanted to go to police, but Kerekes kept him from doing so. On March 12, 2009, Cuadra was found guilty of all the charges against him, including first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, arson, robbery and tampering with or fabricating evidence. On March 16, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Less than a week later, the District Attorney's office stated they spent more than $112,000 prosecuting Kerekes and Cuadra. On April 7, 2009, Cuadra appealed his life sentence.
, exclusively in the 18-23 age category, engaged in either solo masturbation
scenes or, mainly, bareback sex. Kocis cast and directed all Cobra productions until the time of his death.
violations, cybersquatting
, breach of contract
and other disputes. The suit also sought to prevent him from using his stage name of "Brent Corrigan" because Cobra Video claims the name as a protected trademark. The matter was being adjudicated but settlement talks appear to have reached an apex on or around January 2007. A final hearing in the matter was scheduled for February 21, 2007.
, canceled its contract, thereby preventing them from charging for their content. Statements on this site attribute the cancellation to "pressure" from Kocis.
and VHS
copies of Campus Boys 1 and Campus Boys 2 were also removed. No reason was given in the later case, but an email, issued through Cobra's video distribution company Pacific Sun Entertainment, stated "Under no circumstances should these titles be sold, rented or shipped to anyone. They must be boxed, sealed, and stored at your facilities until further notice."
The previous four titles have been voluntarily removed from circulation due to Corrigan's underage dispute. They have remained for sale on internet auction sites.
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
pornographic film studio Cobra Video
Cobra Video
Cobra Video is an American company involved in the production of gay pornographic films.- History and methods :Since its establishment in 2001 by Bryan Kocis , Cobra Video produced movies starring "twinks", exclusively in the 18-23 age category...
.
Early life
Bryan Charles Kocis was born and raised in LarksvilleLarksville, Pennsylvania
Larksville is a borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, two miles west of Wilkes Barre on the Susquehanna River, running through US-Route 11. In 1910, 9,288 people lived here, and in 1940, 8,467 people lived here...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. He attended Wyoming Valley West High School winning several scholarships, graduating in 1980. He was winner of a nationwide photography contest. He attended the Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
. Upon graduation from RIT, he held a specialized position as a biomedical photographer for a local eye doctor in Kingston
Kingston, Pennsylvania
Kingston is a municipality located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States, on the Susquehanna River opposite Wilkes Barre. Kingston was incorporated as a borough in 1857. Kingston has adopted a home rule charter which became effective in January 1976. It is part of the greater metropolitan...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
until the mid 1990s.
Later life
Dissatisfied with his situation after his employer merged with another office in the mid-1990s, he left and tried his hand at several "legitimate" businesses. Each failed. His low point occurred in December 2001, when Kocis declared bankruptcy in federal court, hoping to eliminate $222,800 of debt mostly from credit cards and loans. Soon after resolving his legal troubles, though, interest in Kocis’ Internet pornography products apparently boomed.In the five years after his bankruptcy, he amassed a personal fortune that included a Maserati convertible, a BMW sport utility and a high-end, V8 Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
. According to deeds filed in the Luzerne County Courthouse, in addition to his Dallas Township
Dallas Township, Pennsylvania
Dallas Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,179 at the 2000 census. The township was formed in 1817 from territory taken from Kingston Township, and it was named for Alexander J. Dallas, who was the 6th United States Secretary of the Treasury...
home, Kocis owned adjacent Rice Township
Rice Township, Pennsylvania
Rice Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,460 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 11.3 square miles , of which, 11.1 square miles of it is land and...
parcels. One acquired for $159,900 in 2004 and another bought for $225,000 in 2006. The documents show no mortgages against the properties. Neighbors said Kocis claimed he paid the full cash amount upfront for both.
Allegations of sexual abuse of a child
In 2002, police found a videotape of Bryan Kocis, then 39, and a 15-year-old male in his home. Kocis met the boy on the Internet and transported him to his hometown.Dallas Township man charged with sexually assaulting teen Kocis pled guilty to one count of sexual abuse of a childChild sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
. He was initially charged with child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
, and transportation of a minor for sexual purposes. Since the boy had lied about his age Kocis was given a probation sentence.Dallas Township man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of children
In 2006 a judge signed paperwork changing Kocis' charge from sex assault to corruption of minors. Kocis' former attorney, Al Flora, said the change was made because the original charge of sexual assault
Sexual assault
Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children....
of a child was a mistake and that, "We didn't realize there was an error until 2006." Flora said his former client was a legitimate businessman and not at all a pedophile. Kocis was not required to be registered as a Megan's Law
Megan's Law
Megan's Law is an informal name for laws in the United States requiring law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. Individual states decide what information will be made available and how it should be disseminated...
offender.
Death
Kocis was found dead on January 24, 2007, after a fire at his Dallas TownshipDallas Township, Pennsylvania
Dallas Township is a township in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,179 at the 2000 census. The township was formed in 1817 from territory taken from Kingston Township, and it was named for Alexander J. Dallas, who was the 6th United States Secretary of the Treasury...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
home. According to the investigating coroner, Kocis was stabbed 28 times and his throat was cut, nearly decapitating him. His body was also left in the house before it was set on fire. A folding-style knife was found nearby. Officials had to use dental records to identify Kocis because his body was burned beyond recognition.
Believing the killer or killers had a "personal association" with Kocis, the Luzerne County District Attorney's office sought all of the electronic communication of the 44-year-old during the week prior to his death. Police theorized Kocis' text messages, e-mails and voice mails would lead them to whoever committed the murder. On the night of Kocis' death, police stated they believed he was expecting to meet with a "new model." This meeting was to occur at Kocis' Luzerne County home, according to newspapers in the area. Police further revealed that Kocis had e-mailed some photos of the alleged new model to "an associate" whom he notified of the upcoming meeting. That associate then contacted police after the murder and provided e-mails to them to aid them in their investigation.
John Yates, a California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
attorney representing Sean Lockhart (Brent Corrigan
Brent Corrigan
Sean Paul Lockhart is a model, actor and gay pornographic actor best known under his stage name Brent Corrigan or his pseudonym Fox Ryder. He is best known for his roles in Schoolboy Crush with Brent Everett and Velvet Mafia with Erik Rhodes...
), a former model for Cobra Video who had been involved with a lengthy and rather public legal dispute, said Jan. 25, 2007, that police were trying to locate that man. A "light-colored" SUV was seen leaving the scene and was sought by police. Kocis and Lockhart had been embroiled in a bitter legal dispute since parting ways in 2005. Yates also represented Grant Roy in a suit Kocis filed in federal court. Police interviewed several of Yates' clients, including Lockhart.
Police released at least one photo of the unnamed model to the public Feb. 2, 2007. Within 24 hours, various blogs reporting this murder within their respective communities identified this man as an escort working for Norfolk Companions, a Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
-based escort service. The escort, going by the name "Harlow", had been identified in other blogs as possibly being the proprietor of the same company; the Virginia business licenses office listed Harlow Cuadra as the owner.
On May 15, 2007, two Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
escorts, Harlow Cuadra and Joseph Kerekes, were arrested and charged with Kocis' murder. Police arrested the pair after discovering evidence on Kocis' computer, which had survived the fire. Police theorize they killed Kocis because they wanted to work with Sean Lockhart, an actor who was under contract to Kocis. According to police, in a January meeting, Cuadra alluded to the possibility of killing Kocis if necessary in order to go into production with Lockhart. Cuadra emailed Kocis, assuming the identity of an aspiring porn actor, and arranged to meet with him on Jan. 24, 2007. In the email, he asked if they could meet alone. Cuadra and Kerekes were shown on surveillance cameras buying a gun and knife at a local pawn shop. The knife is consistent with the one used to stab Kocis. Additionally, police have audio recordings of Cuadra saying, "Actually seeing that fucker going down, it's actually sick, but it made me feel better inside. It almost felt like I got revenge and I know that sounds fucked up." In a search of the pair's home, police also found video equipment which they believe belonged to Kocis.
At the preliminary hearing on August 27, 2007, a judge ruled that prosecutors had presented enough compelling evidence against the pair to warrant their being held for trial. A total of 14 witnesses, including two medical examiners, were questioned. Additionally, the judge ruled that there was insufficient evidence to charge the pair with burglary and criminal conspiracy to commit burglary. This means that prosecutors were unable to seek the death penalty.
On Dec. 8, 2008, Kerekes pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, theft, tampering with or fabricating evidence, and criminal conspiracy, and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Jury selection for Cuadra's trial began Feb. 17, 2009, and the trial began a week later. On Feb. 27, Sean Lockhart (Brent Corrigan) testified for the prosecution about his dealings with Kerekes and Cuadra. Throughout the trial, Cuadra claimed that Kerekes controlled his life, equating their relationship with Stockholm syndrome
Stockholm syndrome
In psychology, Stockholm Syndrome is an apparently paradoxical psychological phenomenon wherein hostages express empathy and have positive feelings towards their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them...
. He also claimed that Kerekes was the one who murdered Kocis and that he wanted to go to police, but Kerekes kept him from doing so. On March 12, 2009, Cuadra was found guilty of all the charges against him, including first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, arson, robbery and tampering with or fabricating evidence. On March 16, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Less than a week later, the District Attorney's office stated they spent more than $112,000 prosecuting Kerekes and Cuadra. On April 7, 2009, Cuadra appealed his life sentence.
Cobra Video
Bryan Kocis established Cobra Video in 2001, concentrating on the production of gay movies starring young twinksTwink (gay slang)
"Twink" is a gay slang term describing a young or young-looking gay man with a slender, ectomorph build, little or no body hair, and no facial hair. In some societies, the term chick or chicken is preferred. The related term twinkle-toes, which implies that a man is effeminate, tends to be used in...
, exclusively in the 18-23 age category, engaged in either solo masturbation
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
scenes or, mainly, bareback sex. Kocis cast and directed all Cobra productions until the time of his death.
Videos
In August 2003 through February 2004, Kocis cast Sean Lockhart, a young model, in Cobra's Every Poolboy's Dream giving him the stage name of "Brent Corrigan". Corrigan quickly went on to become the most famous and most lucrative of Kocis' stable of actors.Allegations
On September 13, 2005, Corrigan's attorney announced publicly that Corrigan was underaged when he filmed scenes for Cobra Video, and had used a fake ID to participate in those scenes. Corrigan went on to state that Kocis was aware of his underage status. Cobra denied that they were ever aware of such allegations and publicly stated that they had copies of Corrigan's ID's claiming a birth year of 1985. A civil lawsuit between the two parties erupted soon after.Responses
Kocis, through Cobra Video, issued a statement saying that it had copies of legal identification proving Corrigan was old enough to legally work in the industry and that their current "... requests for a State-certified birth certificate of Mr. Lockhart from Mr. Lockhart's attorney have been rejected." Kocis went on to file a civil and a federal suit against Lockhart in Federal Court in San Diego, California, through Cobra Video, LLC, for trademarkTrademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
violations, cybersquatting
Cybersquatting
Cybersquatting , according to the United States federal law known as the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, is registering, trafficking in, or using a domain name with bad faith intent to profit from the goodwill of a trademark belonging to someone else...
, breach of contract
Breach of contract
Breach of contract is a legal cause of action in which a binding agreement or bargained-for exchange is not honored by one or more of the parties to the contract by non-performance or interference with the other party's performance....
and other disputes. The suit also sought to prevent him from using his stage name of "Brent Corrigan" because Cobra Video claims the name as a protected trademark. The matter was being adjudicated but settlement talks appear to have reached an apex on or around January 2007. A final hearing in the matter was scheduled for February 21, 2007.
Brent Corrigan trademark
On October 9, 2006, Lockhart launched BrentCorriganOnline.com a private, members-only site in an attempt to "go solo". However, two days later the site's online payment coordinator, CCBillCCBill
CCBill is an Internet billing service. Established in 1998, the company provides third-party billing, or turn-key solutions, for e-Merchants requiring payments by way of credit card, debit card, or e-check, European Debit/Direct Pay, and telephone payment....
, canceled its contract, thereby preventing them from charging for their content. Statements on this site attribute the cancellation to "pressure" from Kocis.
Pulled films
On two occasions, Kocis voluntarily pulled several of his videos from store shelves due to a public claim by Brent Corrigan that he was underaged during the filming of scenes before 2004. On September 13, 2005, the four Cobra Video titles featuring the disputed Corrigan scenes were removed. On April 12, 2006, DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
and VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
copies of Campus Boys 1 and Campus Boys 2 were also removed. No reason was given in the later case, but an email, issued through Cobra's video distribution company Pacific Sun Entertainment, stated "Under no circumstances should these titles be sold, rented or shipped to anyone. They must be boxed, sealed, and stored at your facilities until further notice."
Partial videography
- Every Poolboy's Dream, 2004 (Cobra VideoCobra VideoCobra Video is an American company involved in the production of gay pornographic films.- History and methods :Since its establishment in 2001 by Bryan Kocis , Cobra Video produced movies starring "twinks", exclusively in the 18-23 age category...
) - Schoolboy Crush, 2004 (Cobra Video)
- Bareboned Twinks, 2005 (Cobra Video)
- Casting Couch 4, 2005 (Cobra Video)
The previous four titles have been voluntarily removed from circulation due to Corrigan's underage dispute. They have remained for sale on internet auction sites.
- Cream BBoys, 2006 (Cobra Video)
- Naughty Boy's Toys, 2006 (Cobra Video)
- Brent CorriganBrent CorriganSean Paul Lockhart is a model, actor and gay pornographic actor best known under his stage name Brent Corrigan or his pseudonym Fox Ryder. He is best known for his roles in Schoolboy Crush with Brent Everett and Velvet Mafia with Erik Rhodes...
: Fuck Me Raw, 2006 (Cobra Video) - Take It Like a Bitch Boy, 2006 (Cobra Video)