KENNEDALE, Texas, – A mayoral candidate in Kennedale, Texas, has a unique way of reaching out to voters: He exposes porn customers by photographing their vehicles and mailing a picture to their homes.
About 300 people who thought no one was watching found out in the mail that their visit to an adult video store was noticed and documented.
Pastor Jim Norwood started the practice of driving around with his camera taking photos outside of sexually-oriented businesses (SOBs) about five months ago. The reverend, who is running in Saturday’s mayoral election, was able to access public vehicle registrations record, allowing him to get the addresses of the vehicle owners and send them postcards of his photos.
One side of the postcard shows the patron’s vehicle parked outside the adult store. On the other side is written a note from Norwood: “Observed you in the neighborhood. Didn’t know if you were aware there is a church in the area.”
Norwood’s church is just a couple of blocks from some of the porn venues. He said five recipients of his “saw-you-at-the-pornshop” postcards have shown up to attend services.
“The message that we want to send as a community is, you know, number one, this church is here to help if they want some assistance with their problem of sexual addiction,” Norwood said.
The pastor’s other motive is to force adult entertainment businesses to shut down or at least run them out of town. Norwood said the stores attract inappropriate behavior in the neighborhood.
“[Porn customers] come through the neighborhood; we find magazines. We have had them in the parking lot masturbating. We have had condoms, needles,” Norwood said.
But the attorney for the SOBS said Norwood is unfairly targeting legitimate businesses.
“You’ve got SOBs in Fort Worth. You’ve got SOBs in Dallas, in Houston, just about every metropolitan area. I represent some up in Utah. It doesn’t seem to affect those towns,” said Attorney John Gamboa. “What people don’t understand is that it is a regular business that pays its regular real estate taxes, employment taxes, sales taxes, liquor taxes.”
On Saturday, Kennedale’s 3,600 voters go to the polls to choose their mayor. While taxes often take the most prominent role in an election, pornography could play a prominent role, especially since Norwood’s challenger, Mayor Mark Wright , is also a local pastor well-known for his anti-porn pursuits.