Police arrested 19 men in a sting operation for having sex at the Pleasure Emporium sex shop and theater in Hollywood, Florida, in July. Judge Ginger Lerner-Wren found that the establishment is not a “public place” under the law and police had no business interfering with “consensual sexual activity” in a place where patrons had “a reasonable expectation of privacy.”
One of the detectives on the case said the activity in the Emporium “offended” him and that “patrons solicited and groped him” the Sun-Sentinel reported. The judge said that there were many barriers in place to protect patrons from seeing or participating in sexual activity.
Some of the 19 men had already pled guilty to a misdemeanor offense and were supposed to get their criminal record expunged if they complete a diversion program. Lawyers for those acquitted have offered to help them if they want their cases reopened.
