KINGSTON — The owners of a home-based Internet adult entertainment business on West Kingston Road have been charged by the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s office with a misdemeanor for violating Kitsap County Code.

Kingston residents Jeff and Susan Owen were charged this week with violating the code with regards to conducting adult entertainment activities within 1,000 feet of a school, more specifically, Spectrum Community School. The maximum penalty for such a violation is 90 days in jail and a $250 fine. Charging documents were filed with the Kitsap County District Court in Poulsbo on Aug. 22.

The Owens, who were surprised to hear about the charges, had yet to receive any formal documents from the county as of Thursday afternoon. However, Jeff Owen adamantly stands his ground that his business is completely legal and always has been.

While he admitted that his property is within 1,000 feet of the Spectrum Community School, he said the business is not violating any laws because it doesn’t have members of the Web site visiting the property. Having physical foot traffic on his property related to the business, aside from the owners and employees, Jeff Owen said, would then make his business illegal, citing a Supreme Court case to back this claim, and that he would not be operating the business if it were illegal.

He has done location shoots on the property, and according the filed court documents, those who come to the property are friends of the Owens or are paid models, not members. The Owens have had requests to allow members to visit the property, but they have refused to grant such requests, Jeff Owen said.

“We never have had and never will allow clients to come to the home,” he said, noting that the only contact he has with members is through the Internet.

Because he is a staunch opponent of the construction of the new Kingston High School on the Nike Site near his home and took the North Kitsap School District to court over the matter, he believes there are underlying motives behind the charges.

“This is revenge trip because I dared to stand up to NKSD,” he said.

The nature the activities on the Owen’s property was brought to light in April, when Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office deputies were tipped off and investigated the Owens’ property to make sure nothing illegal was taking place. The Owens complied with deputies requests and nothing illegal was found, according to police reports. However, the information was forwarded to the county prosecuting attorney’s office for review.