LUBBOCK, Tx. - A local lingerie store clerk was arrested May 4 for having sold two adult novelties to an undercover police officer in violation of a state obscenity law.
According to KCBD TV, Lubbock police executed a search warrant at Somethin' Sexy earlier this month, after receiving a complaint that the store was selling obscene devices. State law views the possession of six or more sex toys as evidence of intent to sell - while "novelties" are illegal, devices sold for the purpose of sexual stimulation are criminalized as "obscene".
The owner of Somethin' Sexy told News Channel 11 he was unaware the sale was against the law. Investigators argued that the store's concealment of the devices in a separate cache indicated knowledge of their illegality.
"To me, a common sense approach would have been to come in and say, 'hey, they may do this stuff in Dallas, but this is Lubbock, Texas, and we'll give you 24 hours to get it off the shelves,'" said store owner Gary Evans. "I feel like I'm in 1690 Salem, Massachusetts and we're looking for a witch to burn."
Evans reportedly asked to take the rap in lieu of his employee, but police refused. No court date has been set for the arrested store clerk, but if convicted, she would have to register as a sex offender.
