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S & M fan may sue Attleboro
by Dave Wedge
Sunday, July 1, 2001
A New York city businesswoman whose S & M fetish became public fodder
when Attleboro police busted a clandestine bondage bash last year
says she's considering suing the city now that charges against her
have been dropped.
"Because of their actions, I have this incident hanging over
my head for the rest of my life," Stefany Reed said.
The so-called "Paddleboro" case made national news last
year when police entered a secret sex soiree in a downtown warehouse
and arrested Reed and the party host, Benjamin Davis. Reed, a
39-year-old beauty consultant, was charged with assault and battery
for allegedly spanking a woman's bare bottom.
Davis, of Hudson, N.H., was slapped with 13 charges, including running
a house of prostitution and possession of sex toys banned under a
rarely used state law.
Attleboro District Court Judge Francis T. Crimmins ruled that police
illegally entered the private party, prompting prosecutors to drop
the charges against Reed this week. All but two charges against Davis
also were dropped.
"I'm very pleased," Davis said yesterday, vowing to fight
the remaining charges. "I'm fully innocent. I didn't do anything
wrong."
Yesterday, Davis and others in the BDSM (bondage, discipline,
sadomasochism) community congregated at the annual Fetish Fair
Fleamarket at the Boston Center for the Arts in the South End.
Leather-and-lace clad attendees lauded Crimmins' ruling and
prosecutors' decision to toss out the bulk of the case.
"It's a small victory, but it's only one small step,"
said event organizer Cecilia Tan. "The next step is getting
these archaic sex laws off the books."
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