ABERDEEN, N.C. – After a public hearing, the town board has voted to adopt an ordinance that would strictly regulate the display and sale of sexually explicit material such as adult magazines and videos.
“It's not infringing on anyone's rights to sell the merchandise, but it does protect the rights of residents to protect their children and grandchildren from seeing it,” John David McCray, who asked the town to the pass the ordinance, told The Aberdeen Pilot. “It was my hope that the town of Aberdeen would be the first to pass the ordinance, and I [now] hope that Moore County passes a countywide ordinance.”
According to the new ordinance, adult materials must be displayed separately from all other materials. The racks or display cases must be constructed with solid barrier that screen the sexually explicit portions from view. The racks or shelves must be visible from the cash register at all times, and may not be designed so the materials can be easily accessed by minors.
All businesses which carry adult materials will need to immediately comply with the new ordinance.
A local church drew up a statement for the public hearing, asking the town to go as far as completely ban adult materials from Aberdeen. A complete ban of adult materials would violate the First Amendment.
