NEWPORT — The owners of a Dairy Mart store near Alexandria, charged with five counts of distributing obscene material, entered a not guilty plea in Judge Karen Thomas' Campbell District Court Friday.

        County Attorney Justin Verst said attorney Peter Miller and representatives for the Lawson Company of Dublin, Ohio, could not appear here Friday but Judge Thomas accepted a written not guilty plea.

        The store on Alexandria Pike was cited Oct. 20 for selling 10 magazines deemed obscene by police. The magazines identified in the charges include Penthouse, Explicit Club, Oui, Gent, Cheri, Fox, Assertive Women, Swank, High Society and Hot Legs.

        A pre-trial conference on the charges, which are Class A misdemeanors, is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Nov. 14 in District Court.

        Lawson Co. officials agreed to remove the magazines in question and any similar material from the Alexandria store and two Newport stores they operate, at 101 E. 10th St., and 1040 Monmouth St.

        Shortly after charges were filed against the Dairy Mart, Mr. Verst said this was the first time anyone had been charged with distributing obscene material regarding magazines in Campbell County for probably about 20 years.

        The last time a similar charge was leveled against anyone was six years ago and involved a video store selling what were considered obscene videotapes.

        Mr. Verst has a background in dealing with allegedly obscene material, having been involved in prosecution of the Cinema X adult theater in Newport and some adult book stores in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

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