THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 26, 1996 TAG: 9606260623
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY CATHERINE KOZAK, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: 26 lines
Dare County Commissioner R.V. ``Bobby'' Owens Jr. says Gov. James B. Hunt Jr. fully supports the Onslow County sheriff's controversial efforts to close down massage parlors.
Owens spoke Monday on behalf of the governor at a rally where more than 1,000 outspoken Christian supporters of Sheriff Ed Brown, who has been criticized for endorsing state Alcohol Law Enforcement agents who paid for sexual activities to gather evidence.
``The adrenaline was flowing, I can tell you that,'' Owens said of the gathering when he returned to Manteo on Tuesday.
Owens, director of the governor's eastern office, said Hunt is backing the law enforcers' methods because ``massage parlors are not good for any areas.''
``I think it's a moral thing. . . . This is no secret. It's got nothing to do with Christianity or religion at all,'' the chairman said.
Owens said the agents' paying for sexual services was necessary to catch the massage businesses conducting illegal activities.
``I really see nothing wrong with it,'' he said. ``What's the difference in furnishing drug money or furnishing money to trap these people?'' by CNB