Abilene ? The petition calling for a grand jury to investigate an adult bookstore on Interstate 70 west of Abilene has been approved.

Judges of the 8th Judicial District approved the order summoning the grand jury Friday afternoon. By state law, the 15 jurors must be impaneled within 60 days.

The grand jury is the result of a group of Abilene area residents calling themselves Citizens for Strengthening Community Virtues, which in a matter of days in early November gathered more than 700 signatures calling for the grand jury. Only 247 were needed.

The grand jury will investigate whether items sold at the Lion’s Den are obscene, or merely pornographic. Obscenity is illegal under state law. If the grand jury find any items it believes are obscene, it could issue an indictment, leading to prosecution by the Dickinson County Attorney’s Office.

Sandi Summers, a field manager with the Lion’s Den corporation, declined to comment on what specific actions her company might take until consulting with her corporate office.

But, she said, her experience in opening Lion’s Den stores around the country suggests the grand jury might not have the effect Citizens for Strengthening Community Virtues wants.

“We had one that went this far,” Summers said. “I wasn’t working for the company at that time, but that store is still open — that was at least ten years ago.”

Phil Cosby, spokesman and organizer for the anti-obscenity group, said he was “obviously pleased.”

“We’re picking up strength every day,” he said, noting that the group’s “Operation Daniel,” which posts people near the Lion’s Den entrance, now has 120 local residents signed up.