Gas station owner cited for distributing obscene matter

An Oct. 5 tentative trial date has been scheduled for a Williamsburg man accused of distributing obscene matter at a local gas station.
Williamsburg Police Detective Wayne Bird issued the citation on Aug. 25 to store owner Lalbhai R. Patel, 30, of Williamsburg, charging him with distribution of obscene matter.
Patel pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on Aug. 29.
“We got several complaints that the Shell Station on the Ky. 92W bypass was selling pornographic materials, so I stopped over to buy a soft drink just to investigate,” Bird said. “As I approached the counter, I could see magazines on display. Based on that I came back to the station, and wrote a search warrant.”
When police executed the search warrant at the store, they seized about 100 pornographic magazines and about 100 pornographic movies “that were in the store for the purpose of sale,” Bird said.
“There were numerous magazines, such as Playboy, Penthouse, and Hustler, that were actually on display on a rack behind the counter. You could see it if you were in there. The movies weren’t on display, but we found the movies in a box close to the magazines. The complaint was they had the pornographic movies,” Bird said.
Since the state of Kentucky passed its statutes on obscene material, Bird said this is the first time someone has been cited in Williamsburg that he is aware of.
Distribution of obscene matter is a class ‘A’ misdemeanor, Bird said. Class ‘A’ misdemeanors are punishable on conviction by up to one year in jail,
Assistant Police Chief Denny Shelley and Officer Brad Boyd assisted with the investigation.