DUBBERLY, LA — Polly Lowe laughed as she recalled how she used to give people directions to her residence by telling them to “look for the XXX signs.”
Come Sept. 1, those landmarks no longer will lead in the direction of Lowe’s home on state Highway 532. And she couldn’t be happier.
“It tickles me to death. I’m glad to see them go,” said Lowe of neighboring La. Video Inc., an adult video store that has been ordered to close its doors within 45 days as part of a plea agreement finalized Monday in Webster district court.
The corporation, represented by manager Emily Stubbs, pleaded guilty before District Judge Parker Self to one felony count of obscenity. In exchange for the plea, Bossier-Webster District Attorney Schuyler Marvin dismissed sealed indictments that named corporation officers, managers and employees of the store.
Marvin is pleased the decision was reached without having to go through a lengthy and costly trial. He referenced Lincoln Parish, where in 2003 the owner of Fantasy Video Store was convicted of violating the state’s obscenity law but also avoided a jail term by agreeing to close the store.
“That was the goal that we all hoped to accomplish at the beginning of this,” Marvin said.
Shreveport attorney Henry Walker, who stood in as special counsel for the corporation, did not take part in the plea negotiation. He said he was out of town and returned to discover an agreement had been made. Walker was prepared to enter the plea on behalf of the corporation had Stubbs not been available.
Lowe said she joined her neighbors, Ken Shelton and Alton Humphries, more than four years ago in community meetings and petitions aimed at stopping La. Video, Inc. from opening its doors. Their grass-roots effort was not enough, but continuing complaints fielded by the Webster Parish district attorney’s office and Sheriff Gary Sexton provided the groundwork for an undercover investigation that began in January.
“At the time I was single and I could think about all kinds of problems that riff-raff would bring. I was also worried about how it would affect property values,” Lowe said.
During the undercover operation, agents from the Louisiana state police made purchases of videotapes, that according to facts of the case entered into the court record, exhibited “explicit, close-up depiction of nude human genital organs, both male and female, engaged in the consummation of ultimate sexual acts both normal and perverted in a patently offensive and obscene manner.”
The officers also made video photos of the videotapes and other materials displayed for sale and of the numerous arcade booths in the rear of the store that were provided for individuals to view the “obscene videos.”
A Webster grand jury got its first glimpse of the investigation in April and returned several sealed indictments. It met again in May — about a month after the state police and sheriff’s deputies raided the store, seizing hundreds of videos, magazines and merchandise. In total, 11 sealed indictments were returned, with nine naming individuals and the other two naming Louisiana Video, Inc. and a Louisiana Limited Liability Company and its owner/manager, who is the owner of the property located at 2098 state Highway 532.
“The ultimate goal was to get this business closed,” Sexton said. “We hope nothing like this opens in our parish again.”
From News Channel 6: An adult video store in Webster parish has its days numbered after a guilty plea in a courtroom Monday. Now, the doors are closed for this business and any of its kind in the future. You can see the signs on the interstate. All point to this old gas station turned adult video store.
For four years it operated without incident. In April, that all changed. State police raided the store finding what it called obscene material. Trooper Doug Pierrelee said, “these types of violations are based on community standards and this community has decided it doesn`t want this here.”
Monday afternoon, business owners pleaded guilty to obscenity charges. They were ordered to close up shop. Webster Parish District Attorney Schuyler Marvin said, “we think they were treated fairly as a business owner but we just don`t want that type of business in our parish.”
But what defined the community was the main defense – in the end, a grand jury and a judge agreed the store stepped over the line. Now, there is talk of a new policy to be put in place by the police jury. Marvin said, “once they do that, it will restrict any other new types of these businesses can come in and open for business. They`ll have to comply with that ordinance which we think will be pretty restrictive.”
LA Video Inc., has must shut down by the end of August. Now, other businesses will be discouraged from ever opening in the first place. The company was also ordered to pay a two thousand dollar fine. We contacted LA Video Incorporated this afternoon but we were told no management was on site and no one would make a comment on their behalf.