Porn shop owners fear rash of arsons

[villager]

Source: S.F. Examiner

Porn-shop owners fear rash of arsons


by Matthew Santoni, The Examiner



BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Are people setting fire to Harford adult-entertainment shops to try to drive them out of the county? Owners of some of the porn stores wondered Wednesday. After all, in a nine-month span, arson destroyed three of the shops.

Early Tuesday morning, fire gutted the Express Videos in the 2100 block of Belair Road in Fallston. The state fire marshal’s office has ruled the fire an arson, but said it was not connected to the two other fires, which happened at shops along Route 40 between Aberdeen and Havre de Grace earlier this year.

“I’m really upset about this,” said George Dail, owner of the building he rented to the Fallston bookstore’s owners for more than 20 years. “They were harming no one.

“I asked the state fire marshal if somebody has a mad on for burning adult bookstores,” Dail said. “I know people crazy about abortion will burn down clinics, but we can’t pass laws to control morals. … I would hate to think it was that.”

Deputy Chief Jason Mowbray said investigators had not yet identified suspects or made arrests as of Wednesday. Security-camera footage from nearby businesses may lead investigators to one or more suspects, who apparently lit fires on the front porch and near the back of the sprawling structure, authorities said.

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Read more: http://www.examiner.com/a-970766~Rash_of_arsons_cause_concern_for_Harford_porn_shop_owners.html

[Deja Q]

1. I've heard how porn can be hot, but that article's too much!

:hide:

[jgraz]

2. Any article that starts with "Porn shop owners fear rash" is an instant classic

:rofl:

[PATRICK]

3. Not to be cynical

but since they have to rely on the police I wonder if this is some kind of brutal shakedown by extortionists. If they were already "protected" as in the past some were by the old mob???

[originalpckelly]

4. People are being too hard on these porn shop owners.

Hopefully, whoever did this will get a stiff sentence.

[TrogL]

6. *sigh*

:spank:

[LiberalFighter]

9. Maybe that's the problem. The offenders can't get it stiff.

[htuttle]

5. We had a guy doing that around here some years ago

Turned out to be some kind of fundy nutcase, IIRC.

[ProudDad]

7. Deputy Chief Jason Mowbray should be checking

the local fundie churches...

[ooglymoogly]

8. The fundies are having a joyous clusterfuck over this

It is their high moral Kristallnacht. You can bet they will have an exceptionally moral and exceptionally wide stance on this issue.