S.F. porn studio head faces drug charge S.F. CRIME

Peter Acworth, owner and CEO of Kink.com, stands for a portrait on a movie set in their office building, on Monday Feb. 23, 2009 in San Francisco, Calif. Acworth says his business is having trouble competing with new websites that are giving content away for free. less Peter Acworth, owner and CEO of Kink.com, stands for a portrait on a movie set in their office building, on Monday Feb. 23, 2009 in San Francisco, Calif. Acworth says his business is having trouble competing ... more Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle Photo: Mike Kepka, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 12 Caption Close S.F. porn studio head faces drug charge 1 / 12 Back to Gallery

The head of San Francisco's Kink.com porn studio has been charged with possessing cocaine, authorities said Tuesday.

Officers went to the fetish-porn studio in the Mission District Armory on Feb. 1 after someone reported seeing an online video of people shooting guns inside the hulking building at 14th and Mission streets, said Officer Albie Esparza, a police spokesman.

"If you're not a shooting range, you can't be shooting a gun inside a building," Esparza said.

Officers found evidence that guns had been fired inside the armory, but did not make any gun-related arrests, Esparza said. However, they did pat down company CEO Peter Acworth, 42, of San Francisco when he did not promptly answer the door, and found he had a few grams of cocaine in his pocket, authorities said.

Acworth was arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine for personal use and booked into County Jail. He was later released on $15,00o bail, said Alex Bastian, a spokesman for the district attorney's office.

Acworth has pleaded not guilty to cocaine possession, a felony, and will return to court Feb. 27.

Kink.com makes a variety of fetish pornography such as rope bondage, gay wrestling and "slave training." Acworth's attorney, Michael Stapanian, said the CEO has run the studio for 15 years without incident.

"This charge amounts to a $60 mistake," Stapanian said in a statement. "It will be handled as quickly and expeditiously as possible."

Acworth issued a statement saying that "while this current attention is regrettable," the studio "will continue our endeavors to be positive contributors to the neighborhood and city of San Francisco."