Group: Stimulus checks spent on porn

WASHINGTON, July 7 (UPI) -- A U.S. monitor of adult Web sites said Internet pornography has seen an "upswing in sales" since taxpayers began receiving their stimulus checks.

The Adult Internet Market Research Co., or AIMRCo, said President Bush's Economic Stimulus Plan, which yielded checks of up to $600 for individuals and $1,200 for married couples, led to a number of pornographic Web sites recording an increase in membership, the New York Post reported Monday.

"Many of the sites we surveyed have reported 20 to 30 percent growth in membership rates since mid-May, when the checks were first sent out, and typically the summer is a slow period for this market," said Kirk

Mishkin, head research consultant for AIMRCo.

Proprietors of adult sites said they welcome the new government-funded business.

"Getting more people to buy porn was probably the last thing Bush had on his mind when he came up with his 'stimulus package,' but we'll take it," said Jillian Fox of LSGmodels, a site monitored by AIMRCo.