(a) Authority to inspect. Investigators authorized by the Attorney General (hereinafter “investigators”) are authorized to enter without delay and at reasonable times any establishment of a producer where records under § 75.2 are maintained to inspect during regular working hours and at other reasonable times, and within reasonable limits and in a reasonable manner, for the purpose of determining compliance with the record-keeping requirements of the Act and any other provision of the Act (hereinafter “investigator”).
(b) Advance notice of inspections. Advance notice of record inspections shall not be given.
(c) Conduct of inspections.
(1) Inspections shall take place during normal business hours and at such places as specified in § 75.4. For the purpose of this part, “normal business hours” are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., local time, Monday through Friday, or, for inspections to be held at the place of business of a producer, any other time during which the producer is actually conducting business relating to producing a depiction of actual sexually explicit conduct. To the extent that the producer does not maintain at least 20 normal business hours per week, the producer must provide notice to the inspecting agency of the hours during which records will be available for inspection, which in no case may be less than 20 hours per week.
(2) Upon commencing an inspection, the investigator shall:
(i) Present his or her credentials to the owner, operator, or agent in charge of the establishment;
(ii) Explain the nature and purpose of the inspection, including the limited nature of the records inspection, and the records required to be kept by the Act and this part; and
(iii) Indicate the scope of the specific inspection and the records that he or she wishes to inspect.
(3) The inspections shall be conducted so as not to unreasonably disrupt the operations of the establishment.
(4) At the conclusion of an inspection, the investigator may informally advise the producer or his non-employee custodian of records of any apparent violations disclosed by the inspection. The producer or non-employee custodian or records may bring to the attention of the investigator any pertinent information regarding the records inspected or any other relevant matter.
(d) Frequency of inspections. Records may be inspected once during any four-month period, unless there is a reasonable suspicion to believe that a violation of this part has occurred, in which case an additional inspection or inspections may be conducted before the four-month period has expired.
(e) Copies of records. An investigator may copy, at no expense to the producer or to his non-employee custodian of records, during the inspection, any record that is subject to inspection.
(f) Other law enforcement authority. These regulations do not restrict the otherwise lawful investigative prerogatives of an investigator while conducting an inspection.
(g) Seizure of evidence. Notwithstanding any provision of this part or any other regulation, a law enforcement officer may seize any evidence of the commission of any felony while conducting an inspection.
[Order No. 2765-2005, 70 FR 29619, May 24, 2005, as amended at 73 FR 77470, Dec. 18, 2008]