DATE: Saturday, September 6, 1997           TAG: 9709060337

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   55 lines

GROUP PROTESTS SALE OF 3 BOOKS AT PEMBROKE BARNES & NOBLE

About a dozen people locally answered a national call by Operation Rescue and Loyal Opposition Inc. founder Randall Terry to protest a bookstore chain's sales of material the group calls ``child pornography.''

The protesters, including three children, stood outside the Pembroke area Barnes & Noble Booksellers store Friday afternoon carrying placards that read, ``Barnes & Noble traffics child pornography'' and ``stop child pornography.''

Last week, Terry, on his radio talk show, ``Randall Terry Live,'' called for fellow activists to go into Barnes & Noble stores across the country and tear up three photo essay books by Jock Sturges titled, ``Jock Sturges,'' ``Last Day of Summer'' and ``Radiant Identities.''

Terry's group claims that the books are full of child pornography. ``Radiant Identities,'' for example, shows nude photos of children, who appear to be around 7 years of age and older.

Many of the pictures feature groups of children of varied ages. One or two of the photographs show the naked children holding hands or standing side by side.

There also are pictures of naked adults, as well as clothed models of all ages.

``This is the type of thing that fuels pedophiles,'' said Steve Wurth, a manager within Terry's organizations, based in upstate New York.

Some 30 other demonstrations are planned for today, and still others are in the works for Sunday, throughout the country, Wurth said.

Frank Lyman, a Chesapeake resident, headed the local effort.

``This,'' said Lyman, pointing to the black and white book, ``is a weapon just like a .357 Magnum. A pedophile can use this to destroy a child. That's why these books are dangerous.''

A pedophile could use the book as a way to cajole other children into doing the same thing, Lyman said.

Lyman also said the ultimate goal of local protesters is to have Barnes & Noble charged with selling child pornography.

Ruth Street, manager of the Pembroke store, released a statement that read in part, ``We do not feel we have the rights as retailers to censor the reading tastes of the public. We follow community standards as expressed through federal, state and local legislation.''

Terry is to hold a press conference at 10 a.m. Monday in New York City at Barnes & Noble headquarters.

Terry is best known for heading Operation Rescue, which has staged protests against abortion clinics nationwide for several years. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

PHILIP HOLMAN

Melissa Powell, 16, of Norfolk greets David Crane as she joins him

and about 10 others outside Barnes & Noble Booksellers on Virginia

Beach Boulevard on Friday. The group was protesting the sale of

books they said contain child pornography. KEYWORDS: PROTEST DEMONSTRATION CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

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