Federal judge orders Indiana town to allow sex-themed shop to open
CLARKSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — A federal judge in Indianapolis has ordered a southern Indiana town to allow a sex-themed adult shop to open.
The judge’s ruling issued Tuesday orders the town of Clarksville to issue a temporary business license to Clarksville Ministries, LLC.
The company plans to operate “an adult-oriented business that offers, to the consenting adult public, various retail items including sexually themed, but non-obscene, books, magazines, videos, and other products, all for off-site consumption, as well as on-site viewing of adult-themed but non-obscene motion pictures.”
The store would also include approximately 40 rooms for “peep shows.”
Officials in the town in Clark County along the Ohio River had declined to issue an Adult Business License, claiming Clarksville Ministries’ application was incomplete.
Town council members have also worked to pass changes to Clarksville’s zoning ordinance to keep the business from opening.
Judge Tanya Walton Pratt ruled issues with the application are easily fixable, and ordered the town to issue the license immediately once the revised application is finished.
Clarksville Ministries has said the store could be open within 24 hours of receiving the license.