Sioux City Settles Sex Shop Suit

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — Sioux City settled a lawsuit with Dr. John's Lingerie Boutique for $220,000, ending a long-running dispute over a zoning ordinance that was declared unconstitutional.

Dr. John's owner, John Haltom, filed a lawsuit against the city in 2003, claiming the city's ordinances regarding adult entertainment were too restrictive and violated his First Amendment rights of freedom of expression. Haltom also claimed the city amended its ordinances to keep him from opening his store.

Heltom was granted an injunction to keep his store open while the case was pending.

A federal judge later declared the ordinance unconstitutional.

The Sioux City Council approved the settlement. One City Council member said that settling the case was in the best interest of city taxpayers, rather than having the case drag on for years.

A call to Heltom for comment was not returned at press time.

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Male Rose Announces Ownership of Trademarks for Signature Pleasure Products

Pleasure brand The Male Rose announced that it has secured ownership of the registered trademarks for its signature products, including its namesake vibrator as well as the Gawk Gawk 3000.

UK Parliamentary Group Calls for Outlawing Cam Platforms

The U.K. Parliament’s All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Commercial Sexual Exploitation has published a report in which it calls for banning adult livestreaming platforms.

Orion Debuts 4 New Styles From 'Noir Handmade' Line

Orion Wholesale has introduced four new burgundy-colored styles from its Noir Handmade collection.

Dame Launches Crowdfunding Campaign for 'Hup' Vibrating Pillow

Dame has launched a crowdfunding campaign for Hup, its rideable, vibrating pillow, on Kickstarter.

Ofcom Escalates Sun Social, Superb Convert Investigations

U.K. media regulator Ofcom has ramped up its ongoing Online Safety Act (OSA) compliance investigations into PlayVids/PeekVids operator Sun Social Media and PimpBunny operator Superb Convert.

Male Power Debuts 'Peacocking' Collection

Male Power has introduced its new Peacocking collection of men's underwear.

A Look at the Trends Shaping Male Pleasure and Wellness

The male pleasure category was once defined by familiar products: non-powered sleeves and strokers, manual penis pumps, rings and a relatively small selection of prostate toys. Today, manufacturers draw inspiration from consumer electronics, sexual wellness, gaming, streaming content and app-driven interaction, while still relying on one of the category's oldest staples: the basic stroker.

Judge Preliminarily Approves Pornhub Class Action Settlement

A U.S. District Court judge on Monday granted preliminary approval to a settlement between Aylo and the plaintiffs in two class-action lawsuits over allegations that former Pornhub parent company MindGeek knowingly allowed and profited from CSAM on its sites.

Orion Debuts 3 New Styles From Cottelli Lingerie

Orion Wholesale has introduced three new styles from its Cottelli Lingerie line.

CalExotics Expands 'Pleasure Kits' Collection With 3 New Additions

CalExotics has introduced three additions to its Pleasure Kits line, each combining a range of pleasure products and accessories centered on varying levels of intensity.

Show More