Area police raided three local businesses — Sunrise, Krazy Katz, and Bare Necessities — accusing them of violating Texas obscenity statutes by selling prohibited merchandise.
The Examiner reported that employees on duty, as well as two store owners, were arrested and could face four thousand dollar fines, up to a year in jail, or both. The report said that over two thousand items undercover officers thought to be “obscene” were seized in the raids.
An "obscene device" under the Texas law is defined as "a device, including a dildo or artificial vagina, designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs."
After taking inventory, police told The Examiner that they will hand over the evidence to city judges who will make a ruling on each item individually, according to the law. If the judge deems an item is not obscene, they said, it will be returned to the stores. Those items that are ruled obscene will be used as evidence in trial.
Portions of this courtesy of the Free Speech X-Press, the weekly newsletter of the Free Speech Coalition. More info at www.freespeechcoalition.com.
