Stores targeted in the raid included The Movie Gallery and Pick-A-Flick, both of which are general-interest video stores with adults-only sections, as well as Priscilla's Adult Store.
Sheriff Chuck Wright said his department launched a two-week investigation based on complaints from the community and that the raid yielded “several thousand videos and a lot of materials.”
Sheriff Wright did not return a call from XBiz regarding the specific videos seized in the raids.
One clerk was charged with renting or selling adult material to a minor, while the others were charged with selling or renting obscene material. The clerk who allegedly sold an adult DVD to a minor could face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty.
In South Carolina, a video is considered obscene if it depicts “sexual conduct that includes, vaginal, anal or oral intercourse…and masturbation.”
However, stores such as Priscilla’s are generally allowed to carry videos that meet the state’s definition for obscenity as long as they are classified as adult businesses and follow all appropriate zoning rules.
