Missouri Prosecutor Brings Sodomy Charges
Datalounge,
April 3, 2002
HILLSBORO, Mo.—In the hopes of pressing charges
against several adult video store patrons who were caught having sex on the
premises during a police raid, authorities in Missouri have charged six gay
men with sodomy violations, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Under Missouri sodomy statutes, "deviate sexual intercourse with
another person of the same sex" is a class B misdemeanor. Jefferson
County prosecutor Bob Wilkins said that he was hesitant to use the
controversial statute, but that its use in this case was necessary.
"It is not my intention to judge the conduct of consenting
adults," Wilkins told the newspaper on Monday. He said prosecution on the
statute was being used only to combat what he called "open and
notorious" sexual activity at the video store.
"This is not about throwing homosexuals in jail," Wilkins said.
The men were arrested earlier this month in a raid on Award Video just
outside of St. Louis. Those patrons who were arrested for having sex were in
the pornographic theater area of the store at the time of the raid.
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