Woman Who Sold Sex Toy Has Charges Dropped
 

(submitted by gekkogecko)

Reuters to
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By Jon Herskovitz

DALLAS (Reuters) - A Texas woman charged with
violating obscenity laws for selling a sexual toy and
explaining to her customer how to use it has had the
case against her dismissed, court officials said on
Monday.

Joanne Webb, a mother of three and a former
schoolteacher in the town of Burleson near Forth
Worth, was facing up to a year in jail after she sold
a vibrator at a private party to two undercover police
officers posing as a married couple.

The case received national attention because it
touched off a debate on whether a person should be
jailed for selling vibrators to adults.

Johnson County Attorney Bill Moore said in a statement
that his office last week asked a judge to dismiss the
case in order to prevent the county from wasting
resources on it.

Texas law allows for the sale of sexual toys as long
as they are billed as novelties. But when a person
markets the items in a direct manner that shows how
they are used in sex, it is considered criminal
obscenity.

BeAnn Sisemore, the lawyer representing Webb in the
case, said she has brought a federal suit against
Texas officials seeking to overturn the obscenity law.
She thinks the pending federal suit, along with public
pressure, helped lead to the dismissal in the Webb
case.

"Elected officials were hearing from the citizens that
they did not want this, that this is wrong," Sisemore
said.

Webb is a representative for Passion Parties, a
California company marketing potions, lotions and
sexual toys sold at gatherings that mimic Tupperware
parties.

Women over 18 meet in a private home for what the
company calls a "girl's night out of giggles and fun,"
during which products designed to enhance sex lives
are sold.

The police officers in November posed as a couple
trying to spice up their love life. After selling the
vibrator, Webb instructed the woman on its use and
explained how it could enhance lovemaking. She was
then soon arrested on the obscenity charge.

Police in Burleson who helped arrange the sting
operation, did not return calls seeking comment on
news the charges had been dropped.

Sisemore said she plans to speed up the process in the
federal suit and expects hearings on the issue in the
next 15 days to 25 days. She said Johnson County
officials could still bring criminal charges against
Webb again on the issue.

"This is far from over though. A woman's right to be
educated on her sexuality should never be considered
obscene," Webb said.