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GAY MAN SUES NYPD FOR ARREST MADE IN ADULT STORE RAID
By: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer - 11-23-09 - 1:00 a.m. PDT
In late October, 53-year-old Robert Pinter filed a federal lawsuit again the NYPD for violation of his constitutional rights when he was arrested arrested at a adult video store by the NYPD on prostitution charges.He was just one of many that were caught up in a police sting operation on a series of gay adult video stores across the New York City.
Gay consumers were furious over this action and protested all the way to Mayor Michael Bloomberg's office to make sure that he was paying attention to these actions taken by NYPD and to halt any and all investigations pertaining to these arrests.
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Robert Pinter is going one step further in his protest, he's suing the city of New York.
In a lawsuit filed against New York City at the end of October in federal court, Pinter claims his constitutional rights were violated at the "Blue Door Video on First Ave. after a younger, Asian-American man was flirting with him and suggested that both of them leave the store for consensual sex in a nearby car.
As they were leaving the Blue Door Video Store, the Asian American young man, who told Pinter he was 29, stated that he would pay Pinter $50 for oral sex.Pinter then stated in his complaint that he stated that he ignored that comment and was then busted for prostitution by the vice squad of the NYPD.
Initially, Pinter pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and received a small fine and a light sentence.
Printer challenged that plea earlier this year and it was vacated. The case was reopened and the charge was dismissed by the district attorney's office.
According to several sources close to the investigation, the vice squad division of the NYPD used the sting operations to find reasons to file nuisance complaints against the gay adult video shops in order to get them closed down with a number of complaints filed against them.
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It's unclear whether Pinter will be alone among the 30 men arrested that in question. For obvious reasons, these guys have an interest in not making the matter any bigger than it already has.
Scores of innocent men have been swept up in these false arrests which have been well documented in New York City's Gay City News. Young undercover cops go up to middle-aged gay men, flirt with them, ask for consensual sex, and then offer to pay the older men to have sex with them. Though none of the men agree to the offer, they are then arrested by a gang of undercover cops and put through the system.
None of the men who were arrested had prior arrests. And while only 17% of male prostitutes arrested in NYPD's Manhattan South district are over 40 years old, Over 66% of the men were allegedly arrested at the Blue Door video store. The legitimacy of these arrests is inconceivable. It also casts doubt on arrests at other targeted stores.
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Citizens of New York City are demanding the following:
1. MAYOR BLOOMBERG – Stop the false arrests of gay men for prostitution!
2. GOVERNOR PATERSON – Appoint a special prosecutor to investigate and punish these crimes by the police!
3. MAYOR BLOOMBERG, D.A. MORGENTHAU and POLICE COMMISSIONER KELLY – Sit down with gay groups, leaders and victims of these illegal stings, to get to the bottom of this outrage, and stop the arrests and prosecutions –NOW!"
JRL will stay on this story and see what's next in New York City's battle against legitimate video stores that are trying to provide a legal service to their customer base and their communities.
(Photo of Robert Printer courtesy of Gay City News)
