Nashville Adult Bookstore Closed Over 'Lewd Acts'

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Police officers padlocked the House of Thrills adult bookstore Tuesday by court order after a nine-month investigation into sex acts on the premises.

Nashville attorney John Herbison, who represents the building's owner, told XBIZ that the operators of the House of Thrills business agreed to close down, with a consent decree prohibiting their future operation of the business.

"They threw in the towel," Herbison said.

On Tuesday, Judge Mark Fishburn temporarily granted the city's request to shut down the adult business where police said unprotected sex acts have been taking place for the past year. Five undercover detectives filed affidavits that they observed publicly lewd and unsafe sexual acts involving 55 patrons of the store.

"We're not policing morality," Metro police Sgt. Tony Blackburn said. "But we'll be looking at any public business that allows acts like this."

About 80 arrests have been made at House of Thrills since October for various sexual offenses. Herbison said that the complaints involved "acts of sexual conduct, primarily acts of masturbation, occurring in the video arcade booth area."

Herbison is looking toward a June 9 hearing on the future use of the building. "The government is seeking not only an order of abatement of the alleged nuisance, they are seeking for that order to include a provision that no adult entertainment business be operated in the future at that location. I am resisting that, for a couple of reasons. ... It is not a punitive measure, it is [to prohibit] continuation of the nuisance activity.

"Prohibition on future use of the building, especially of a future use that involves display or distribution of 1st Amendment-protected materials, goes beyond the scope of what the statute authorizes. The Tennessee appellate court has recognized that a prohibition on an adult entertainment business operating under nuisance statutes would be constitutionally suspect. The statute does not authorize what the government is doing. Even if it were authorized by statute, any such order would be unconstitutional. It's my contention that this is a pretext for prior restraint."

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Honey Play Box Debuts 'Tressa' Vibrator

Honey Play Box introduced its new Tressa multi-stimulation, app-enabled vibrator.

Blush Debuts 2 New Glass Plugs From 'Oh My Gem' Collection

Blush has introduced two new glass plugs, Lustre and Prestige, from its Oh My Gem collection.

EP Products Founder Don Wilson Passes Away

Don Wilson, the founder of EP Products and a notable figure in Canada's adult retail community, has passed away.

Orion Debuts 'Your Strap-On' Collection From 'You2Toys' Line

Orion Wholesale has introduced the Your Strap-On collection from its You2Toys line.

Stephen Colbert Takes Aim at Texas' Crackdown on Sex Toys

Stephen Colbert is cracking up over Texas lawmakers’ crackdown on sex toys in the state.

XR Brands 'Silicone Body Forms' Highlighted at Paris Fashion Week

XR Brands’ Ripped Silicone Male Chest and Perky Pair Silicone Breasts were highlighted at 2025 Paris Fashion Week.

Age Verification Watch: Patching the Holes

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Eye of Love Introduces 'Matchmaker Collection' Planogram

Eye of Love has debuted a new display planogram for its Matchmaker Collection of pheromone-infused scents.

Fleshlight Debuts Taylor Vixxen Stroker

Fleshlight has introduced its new Pro stroker, molded on the anatomy of Taylor Vixxen.

Orion Expands 'LateX' Collection With 2 New Outfits

Orion Wholesale has added two new outfits to its LateX collection of fetish apparel.

Show More