Mobile, Alabama- Mobile is moving to pull business licenses of two adult video stores in the city's police jurisdiction, claiming the Tillman's Corner-area businesses harbor carnal activity and are conduits for sexual rendezvous.
As part of the investigation, 31 people were charged with loitering for the purpose of deviate sexual intercourse, according to the city. The City Council this week set a public hearing for June 15 to revoke the business licenses of I-10 Video at 5700 Willis Road and Express Video at 4400 Rangeline Road, Suite B. The sign at the later business reads XXXPress Video.
Both businesses are outside Mobile's city limits, but inside its 3-mile-wide police jurisdiction. Businesses there must obtain a city business license.
Licenses for both businesses were issued to Patricia A. Daniel.
Billy Miller, a Biloxi attorney who said he represents Daniel's family, said Friday that Daniel is in the process of retaining Alabama counsel. Until that time, Miller said, they had no comment.
The purple I-10 Video building is a familiar site to interstate travelers, who notice its elaborate lighted sign depicting flashing bursts of fireworks.
The Mobile Police Department's Narcotics and Vice Unit conducted an undercover investigation from October 2003 to April 2004 after receiving complaints, according to a council resolution calling for the license revocations.
The resolution, prepared by the city's legal department, states that patrons pay $8 for entrance to a restricted area with closet-sized viewing booths, each of which contains a television monitor. Once inside, customers can stay and play videos indefinitely.
"All the video selections are sexually oriented and graphically depict various forms of sexual activity, including sexually oriented cartoons' depicting images of school girls in uniform being raped (by) an adult male, the resolution states.
At both stores, customers were observed sharing booths, and some of the booths had small peep holes drilled into the walls that allowed the occupants of one booth to view the occupants of an adjoining booth.
Used condoms were found in the booths, and patrons were observed having deviate sexual intercourse ... inside the booths with the doors open, the resolution continues.
Both locations have a retail sales area, and men routinely cruise this area looking for people interested in having sex, the document states.
At I-10 Video, cruising also took place in the parking lot, the resolution states. After contact was made, arrangements would be made to either have sex in the car or a booth in the business, according to the resolution.
The criminal charges were obtained by using a confidential informant equipped with an audio recording device.
A Mobile Police Department spokesman said Friday that he did not have the names of the people arrested. The investigation is continuing, he said.
Loitering for the purpose of deviate sexual intercourse is a violation that can bring no more than 30 days in jail, the spokesman said.
Wanda Cochran, an assistant city attorney, said she does not know the status of the cases or even if everyone has been served with legal papers.
Both businesses also have a bulletin board where people post an index card describing the type of partner anor sexual contact desired. Other customers can pay $2 to obtain the name and telephone number of the person who posted the card.
Undercover officers purchased crack cocaine from the security guard for I-10 Video in the parking lot, according to the resolution, which does not name the guard but states that he has not been indicted. The guard, at the time of the sale, was on probation for armed robbery, according to the document.
