It's not just that the books are there. Our hidden cameras saw kids doing what kids do; looking at those books. And they are books that most parents agree kids should not be seeing.
Barnes & Noble and Borders are the biggest booksellers in our area. They carry thousands of titles. There are cookbooks, best sellers, and biographies. There are kids books and sex books. And they are almost right next to each other. One mom told us, "I would have a problem with my son walking past that."
Books are big business. And little customers carry a lot of the load. Local bookstores are packed with kids. Some of those young eyes are wandering past some very adult books on the way to the kids section. It's just a few short steps to get from 'Baby Einstein' to 'The Bedside Kama Sutra' .
We decided to show some of the racy books to moms at the mall. Darlene Robinson was shocked, "Ow, wow. That's very offensive."
Another mom gasped. "That's ridiculous. That's terrible." she told u as we showed her the cover of a graphic book titled 'Wet'. The cover has a photo of a couple engaged in sex on the beach.
Our cameras caught some kids doing more than just walking by the books. We spotted a boy and girl in their mid teens lingering in the self help sex book section at the Barnes & Noble at Mayfair Mall. They went thru several different books, many of them with explicit photos of adults in sexual positions. They picked up several different books, all of it just feet from small children.
Pam Haley is a mom we met at the mall. "I just don't understand why bookstores would do that, especially this time of year when kids are all over the mall. It doesn't make any sense," she told us.
Many of the books within easy reach of our kids are just too graphic to even put on TV. There are shots of intercourse and bondage, all containing nudity.
In some books we had trouble finding images that we could put on TV.
Nut kids don't have any trouble finding the books. We saw this boy in the sex section in the Barnes & Noble at Mayfair.
And then there's the Borders store in the Grand Avenue Mall. 'Barbie' and 'Dora the Explorer' are just a short walk from 'Super Hot Sex.' We even bought a book there called 'The Pop Up Book of Sex.' Experts say it may be the most dangerous of all with it's pull tabs and three "D" images that mirror children's books.
Dr. Chuck Meseck is a children's psychologist. "Basically a lot of times all the teenagers have is the impulse and they don't have the rest of what it takes to make good decisions. There's no way that books should be out like this," Meseck tells.
We requested interviews with Barnes & Noble and Borders corporate offices and their local stores. They all denied our requests for interviews, but did send us written statements."
Borders officials wrote... "All stores are instructed to place publications that may be considered objectionable on higher shelves away from the line of sight of youths."
What we found was not on a higher shelf. We even found a "Playboy" picture book right in the line of sight of youth.
Barnes & Noble blamed parents in their statement to us... "We strongly recommend that they (parents) keep a close watch on their children and keep them away from material they may find offensive."
Meseck doesn't like Barnes & Noble's position, "It shouldn't have to be the parent with them. It shouldn't have to be that kind of issue. Let's say we have to protect kids as a society."
Gail Perlich is a parent who told us kids shouldn't have to come eye to eye with books like 'The Sex Bible'. "I think it's disgusting. I have three sons and I think it's disgusting."
Perlich says the graphic books will lead to her vote with her wallet. "That will influence my behavior on whether or not I will buy books there. And if I have the chance to tell them when I go in there, I will tell them it is disgusting."
