Christina Montgomery

p. A15.

Porn theatre under review

FOX: Undercover cop describes sex acts at city's last adult cinema

He observed two pairs of men, apparently strangers, take turns committing sex acts on each other and he was propositioned by the man sitting behind him.

And, contrary to city bylaws, two people in the darkened auditorium were smoking.

Jarvie presented those findings as he testified at a city hearing on revoking the business licence of the Fox, Vancouver's last porn theatre.

Staff recommended the move after receiving complaints from area businesses and assessing information from police.

Jarvie testified that police also had a report of a live male-female sex show that took place in the blackened theatre. As patrons paid a third man, he would train a flashlight on the pair, Jarvie said.

Police had eight calls to the theatre in 2008, and have visited four times this year. Some of the calls came from theatre staff about unruly patrons. No charges have been laid. Fox owner Lisa Huang insisted that most of her customers were simply older men who had no computer access at home and wanted to watch pornography in a "social" atmosphere.

The hearing continues on May 13.