The manager of a French store selling sex toys was tried overnight to determine if he violated the country's pornographic laws and sold his products within 200 of a school.
Store manager, 41-year-
After two Christian groups complained that his store was less than 90 metres away from a primary school, old Nicholas Busnell faced two years of imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros ($37,000.
Two plaintiffs-the National Federation of Catholic Family Associations and the CLER Love Family Association-also demanded compensation of € 10,000 per person.
Mr. Busnel denied that the Paris store, located at 69 St Martin Street, sold pornography and said that its products were only pornographic.
According to his lawyer, Richard Marca, "there are as many definitions of pornography as people . ".
At the beginning of the trial, Mr. Malka said that the restriction on selling sex toys within 200 of the educational institution meant that the only place they could sell would be "cemeteries", parks and train tracks.
"But plaintiff's lawyer, Henry de borregad, said that the products in the store were undoubtedly pornographic.
"You can say that the sex store is a 'love store' and dildo is a 'sex play '. . .
"But these are just words," he said . "
"The simple fact is that we have a sex store that sells pornography.
"At the beginning of the trial, Mr. Malka filed a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that the case was not constitutional but was dismissed by the court.
The tribunal will hear testimony from witnesses, including Mr. Busnel and sexologists.