Shops indicted amid obscenity allegations

? Attorneys for two of the businesses that a Johnson County grand jury indicted this week on obscenity charges plan to contest the allegations.

“We are going to defend this as vigorously as we can,” said Richard Bryant, an attorney for Hollywood at Home.

The video rental store in Overland Park is charged with selling four obscene DVDs. Bryant said he doesn’t know why those particular DVDs were singled out.

“All I can tell you is the distributors of those videos have all indicated that they have not been subject of investigation in any state or any city in the country,” he said.

An attorney for a second indicted business, Priscilla’s in Olathe, said the owners will be contesting the charges. Priscilla’s is accused of selling a DVD and sex toys alleged to be obscene.

A third business indicted, Spirit Halloween in Overland Park, is accused of displaying obscene Halloween costumes where minors could see them. Spirit Halloween is owned by New Jersey-based Spencer Gifts.

The indictments are the first ones that the grand jury handed down involving obscenity. The charges are all misdemeanors.

“This is the grand jury’s mandate,” said Brian Burgess, a spokesman for Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline. “They’ve now handed down these indictments and asked us to enforce Kansas law. It will be assigned to a prosecutor and proceed just like any other misdemeanor case.”