A local sex shop has been caught illegally selling R18 DVD’s and videos, and consequently handed a heavy fine.
Misstique owners Sharman Enterprises Ltd. were fined £6,250 at Belfast Magistrates Court after 600 DVD’s were seized because they were unclassified or had a hardcore rating, according to a recent report.
“This business has been using every device it can to remain open without the requisite license and has managed in the past to evade the law,” DUP councilor Nelson McCausland told UTV.
The report went on to say that the council has refused to grant Misstique a license and the case has been taken to the House of Lords by Sharman Enterprises. Sharman has fought a lengthy legal case against Belfast City Council's decision to deny them a license.
The owner of the Adult store was prosecuted under the Video Recording Act of 1984. when Trading Standards officials originally visited the premises on Feb. 7 of last year. The act states that commercial video recordings offered for sale or for hire within the UK must carry a classification that has been agreed upon by an authority designated by the Home Office.
There were ten specimen charges brought before the Resident Magistrate.
The fine is the harshest of this year, and this follows three successful prosecutions of sex shops in Northern Ireland this year.
