Mark Houck and the organization that he founded, The King’s Men (http://thekingsmen.org/), have been supporting community efforts to shut down sex-oriented businesses that experts say can lead to prostitution and other crimes such as sex and drug trafficking and robbery.
People may not realize that zoning regulations or other local laws may be in violation when these types of businesses, such as strip clubs, open up or operate in their communities, and that shutting these businesses down may be as simple as enforcing or passing local laws.
Although Mark and those he works with have been successful in closing down several sex-oriented businesses throughout Bucks County, these efforts have not been easy, even resulting in a major lawsuit. Research has shown how addictive porn can be, which can help drive viewers to patronize sex-oriented businesses or to purchase sex from prostitutes and those who are being trafficked.
The King’s Men organization also works to raise awareness about the downward spiral porn can take men on, which can lead to personal destruction and victimization of those who are enslaved. Mark knows this all too well, having been first innocently exposed, as many young people are today, to porn. He courageously shared his painful journey with us from addiction to recovery and the hope he has for men like him.
It was powerful for us to hear his story and visit the sites of more than one location The King’s Men has shut down and another they are working on. In fact, at one location where we filmed, the owner of a gas station came out and told us how happy he was that the sex-oriented business near him was closed.
Thank you Mark for your honesty and for letting us capture on film your inspiring and brave fight for our communities!
And thank you to the owner of Caitlyn and Cody’s Diner (http://caitlynandcodysdiner.com/) for letting us film on your premises, which was once the location of a sex-oriented business.
