Family groups question pornography in hotels

WASHINGTON — A coalition of 13 pro-family groups is calling on the U.S. Justice Department and the FBI to investigate in-room hotel pornography.

Jan LaRue, chief counsel for one of the groups, Concerned Women for America, said almost everybody is aware that most hotel chains offer pay-per-view pornography.

“But we believe that many of the hard-core porn videos offered through hotels may actually violate federal obscenity laws,” LaRue said. “The fact that these hotel magnates wear a white collar is no shield to a criminal prosecution if they are, in fact, distributing obscenity.”

Daniel Weiss, senior analyst for media and sexuality at Focus on the Family Action, said the groups are calling on the Justice Department to investigate hotel porn because federal obscenity laws are not being enforced.

“We’re talking about hard-core pornography these days. It’s really some of the vilest, most degrading and disgusting activity portrayed anywhere,” he said. “This is exactly the kind of material that the Supreme Court ruled is obscene, and therefore it has no First Amendment protection.”  (TAB)