Sex shop owner fined after DVDs seized

A Belfast sex shop owner was fined a total of £2000 at Belfast Magistrates’ Court for offences under the Video Recordings Act.

In two cases, brought by the Trading Standards Service of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Mr Brian Hope, trading as ‘Naughty Butt Nice’ at 2 Smithfield Square, Belfast and as ‘Gresham Bookshop’ at 2 Gresham Street, Belfast, pleaded guilty to sixteen charges under the Act.

Mr Connor, Resident Magistrate, imposed a £2000 fine in relation to two charges and gave a conditional discharge for three years for each of the remaining fourteen charges.

In June 2006, as part of a Trading Standards Service exercise into the trading practices of the adult entertainment outlets, commonly referred to as sex shops, in the centre of Belfast, trading standards officers visited the premises of ‘Naughty Butt Nice’ and the ‘Gresham Bookshop’.

Over 500 videos and DVDs were seized, either because they were unclassified or were marked with an ‘R18’ classification. DVDs and videos are required to be marked with a classification and those marked with an ‘R18’ classification can only be sold in a licensed sex shop. Mr Hope was not in possession of such a licence.

The court also agreed to a forfeiture order in respect of the seized items.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

1. In each of the two cases, eight specimen charges were brought under the Video Recordings Act 1984;

In the case of ‘Naughty Butt Nice’ five charges were brought under section 10(1) in relation to unclassified works, and three under section 12(3) in relation to R18 classified works.

In the case of the ‘Gresham Bookshop’ six charges were brought under section 10(1) in relation to unclassified works, and two under section 12(3) in relation to R18 works.

2. Under section 10(1) of the Act, it is an offence to be in possession for supply of DVD or video works which are not labelled with a classification. Classification certificates are issued by the British Board of Film Classification (the BBFC).

3. Under section 12(3) of the Act, it is an offence to be in possession for supply of DVD and video works labelled with an ‘R18’ classification on business premises other than a licensed sex shop. For the two premises in question it is the Belfast City council which has the responsibility for such licences and at the time of the enforcement visit in this case, no such licence had been granted to Mr Hope.

4. Under section 21 of the Act, where any person is convicted of any offence under the Act, the court may order the forfeiture of any associated works.

5. For media enquiries please contact the DETI press office, tel.no. 028 9052 9604.