Several men were arrested in Maryland after police raided an adult bookstore and charged the men using an unconstitutional anti-sodomy law.
According to the Washington Blade, the Harford County Sheriff’s Office raided the Bush River Books & Video store in Abington on May 20. Nine men were arrested and many of them were accused of engaging in sexual acts with each other. One was also accused of soliciting prostitution from an undercover female deputy.
Four of the men are facing a charge of perverted sexual practices, which is the state’s anti-sodomy law. One man received the same charge and an additional charge of indecent exposure. The other four men are facing charges of indecent exposure or solicitation of prostitution.
“I went inside and was hooking up with someone and the next thing I know eight of us were against the wall with handcuffs with plastic zip ties on them,” one man, from here on referred to as John Doe, arrested in the raid told the Washington Blade. “And we all spent the night in jail. I was released at like six o’clock in the morning.”
A friend of one of the men shared that the friend and another man were in a locked booth when the police “in full riot gear unlocked his room and arrested him and his friend.” They are now facing indecent exposure for being in a locked room.
According to the Harford County Sheriff’s Office, the video store received complaints from people living in the surrounding area and other patrons. Or as a statement from the police specifically said, the operation was prompted by an “increased number of concerns and allegations of a wide variety of illegal activity” from “citizens and patrons of the business”.
“I don’t know why people have a problem with this,” said John Doe. “We go there to meet people like us.”
Maryland’s law against “perverted sexual practices” prohibits “unnatural or perverted sexual practice with another [person] or with an animal.” But in 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Lawrence v. Texas made state anti-sodomy laws unconstitutional. This is especially true when consenting adults in a private setting are involved.
Attorney Greg Nevins, a senior counsel for Lambda Legal, spoke the Washington Blade on the legality of the case. Nevins says there’s a strong case for private, locked rooms in a video store to be seen as similar to locked hotel rooms.
“There are cases around the country discussing whether certain areas are private, usually focusing on whether the participants had a reasonable expectation of privacy,” Nevins explained.
Last year, Maryland’s General Assembly voted to repeal the perverted sexual practice law, but it seems that the Senate and governor have yet to act on that vote.
Source: The Washington Blade,
I mean- as the one who got arrested in a private room – If that is not a reasonable expectation of privacy then what the heck did I pay the extra $10 on top of $10 for entry? I am owed either exonoration or a refund.
Wow some of these comments…
Hi I am the guy who had rented the locked private room . Alot of commenters seem to be thinking of this “public” place as a bookstore. But its adult store with a porn theater attached as well as video booths. You must present id and pay to enter the theater area. There are 2 private rooms besides the 4 theater rooms . You can pay extra to rent those for a couple hours. You are given a key and allowed to choose a dvd to watch. So I would argue that if I have paid to enter such a place the assumption that I am not doing anything that is not allowed is reasonable. If the theater is showing porn and they are freely operating as a established buisness then why are they going and arresting people for masterbating in a place that encourages it. I thought it was unfair when they arrested peewee herman in a porn theater and he was labeled a pervert instead of a victim and I was surprised they still do this. And to those who say get a hotel I say I thought this was a budget friendly alternative that harms no one. And its a hell of alot safer then hooking up on grindr or tindr. A few texts and a facepic makes them not a stranger so that makes it ok right?
There is a religious group that recently moved into an old restaurant across the road. It’s a good bet they are source of the complaints.
The bookstore has been there for nearly 30 years, and the long-term residents have never complained before,
Why did the “religious group” move into a building across from an adult bookstore? They knew what they were for, no reason to complain.
These acts have been occurring Adult Book Stores for decades. Why is there a booth with a door & lock? Just watching a video in the booth & masturbating’s would be illegal too. Close up the booths…. I prefer a hotel room or my place.
If they weren’t bothering anyone else then the state needs to butt out
Meanwhile, On the beach this morning as I was walking to take a picture of the sunrise there are two heterosexuals engaged in a reverse Cowboy and a few blocks away some guy was openly masturbating on the beach walk but that’s MiamiBeach for you
The sodomy charges will be dismissed since consensual sodomy is no longer a crime. However, the other charges will certainly stay and should! A bookstore is not the same as a hotel room whether the door is locked or not! If two people want to have sex then they should go to the home of one of the participants or rent a hotel room. I have ZERO sympathy for people arrested for having sex in public whether they are straight or gay!
If they’re in a locked room within a private business, how is that “in public”?
Because the bookstore is licensed to sell books (and other adult materials) to anyone that comes in off the street to buy their product. A place to have sex is not something the store said they would be providing when the applied for a business license. A restroom in a store or restaurant also has locks on the door if it is a single person restroom (and on the stall if it is a multi person restroom) but it’s not legal to have sex in those places either!
Well, clutch your pearls, and stfu and take several seats. They were out of sight in an adult bookstore in a locked booth. Two consenting adults. Give me a break and dismiss these charges.
Said the Royal Highness…she probably thinks two consenting adults in a locked stall having sex in a public restroom is okay, too! Take your own seat!
That high horse makes your ass look big.
My ass is just the right size…but thanks for noticing! 🙂
Go to a hotel room or your own house. Doing it in a bookstore or a public restroom or a public park is just gross! This behavior continues to give the gay community a black eye so stop it or go jail and be forced to register as a sexual predictor. Gay sex is not illegal if you do it in your own home. Wise the fuck up or get zero fucks from the rest of us doing the right thing.
So if you aren’t a homeowner or can’t afford a hotel, don’t have sex… Ok that’s gonna work
What the hell is a “sexual predictor”? LOL….please use proper words if you’re going to go off on other people. Also, I think you may need to learn the difference between a predator and an offender…..
Some of these people can barely read, let alone use correct spelling and grammar. A good example was that orange ass that occupied the white house from 2016 to 2020.
You want privacy go to a hotel, stop acting like an animal