Arson Destroys Three Adult Stores in Maryland

BALTIMORE, Md. – Three adult businesses in Hartford County have been destroyed by arson in the last nine months, leading some property owners to believe that the fires were motivated by a vendetta against porn.

The latest blaze destroyed Express Videos in Fallston on Tuesday morning. Authorities are examining the security-camera footage from nearby businesses for possible leads.

“I’m really upset about this,” said George Dail, who rented the building to the store’s owners for over 20 years. “[The owners] were harming no one. I asked the state fire marshal if somebody has a mad on for burning adult bookstores. I know people crazy about abortion will burn down clinics, but we can’t pass laws to control morals…I would hate to think it was that.”

The first fire destroyed an adult video store in January. In July, another arson damaged the exterior of Adult Novelty Corporation in Aberdeen. The state fire marshal's office said the Express Videos arson is unrelated to the other incidents, but local adult retailers are nervous.

“There was a place that tried to open up in Edgewood…they got picketed constantly and had to shut down,” an employee at another Express Videos outlet told the Baltimore Examiner. “Ever since then, there’s been a fire here, a protest there.”