Surprise: Sex Shop Opens and Prostitution Arrests Begin

Articles like this one once again give one pause for words about how ignorant elected officials can be. The City Council was warned by the public repeatedly that allowing a sex shop to open its doors only invites sex crimes. Now an arrest has occurred for the first time just a year and a few months after a shop opened on the sex shop's property and one Alderman says he hopes this is not a sign of things to come. He could not find a bookie in Los Vegas to take a bet that future sex crimes will not only occur but arrests of those caught will increase.

This was just the first arrest for a sexual cime - not the first occurence of such illegal activity. An arrest is just the tip of an ice berg. The city of Milford has as much to fear from their elected officials as they do the sex shops and the activity they bring in every city they open. Selling porn is to crime what watering a garden is to vegetables and flowers. It's only a matter of time until one reaps the fruit of what was planted.

Milford prostitution arrest restarts boutique criticism

GREG SHULAS gshulas@ctpost.com
Connecticut Post

MILFORD — A man's arrest on prostitution charges in the Penthouse Boutique parking lot has renewed scrutiny of the controversial adult store.

At the store's opening in July 2003, opponents predicted that sex-related crimes would increase upon its arrival, a charge disputed by its owner. No such crimes occurred on the store's property until Friday, when police arrested a man as part of an undercover operation.

Wendall Kimper, 21, of Milford, was arrested by city police Friday on a prostitution charge in the business' parking lot at 9 Banner Drive. The arrest was part of a sting operation when Kimper agreed to have sex with an undercover officer in exchange for money, police said.

Police released no further information about the case. Attempts to contact Kimper Monday were unsuccessful.

Kimper was released on a written promise to appear for an Aug. 16 Superior Court arraignment.

Anti-pornography activist Thomas Huebner said Monday that the arrest should be a rude awakening to the community. "I am not surprised. It is to be expected. [Pornography] breeds that. Sexual crimes are going to increase," he said. Alderman Thomas Beirne, R-5, said he hopes the incident is not a sign of things to come.

"It is not good to hear about it. We hope it is just an isolated incident that occurred," he said.

Store manager Eric Anderson on Monday said that Penthouse Boutique is a professionally run business that follows the law. He said he is concerned that police may be unfairly targeting the business. "This is the first that I have heard of it," he said of the arrest.

Opponents railed outside the store during its opening two years ago, waving signs that both condemned pornography and predicted increases in sex crimes.

But business owner Dan Quinn dismissed their accusations as baseless. He has touted the boutique as an upscale adult store and has pledged to be a good neighbor. Police said there's been no increase in sex crimes in the city since the store's July 2003 opening.

Greg Shulas, who covers Milford, can be reached at 878-2130.

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