Palm Springs cops feel heat over gay sex sting

Last summer, Palm Springs police used undercover officers to arrest 24 men in a gay neighborhood for allegedly trying to engage the officers in sex. While few in the gay community defend anyone having public sex - whether gay or straight - the anger is over the unusual charges in the case: The men are charged under Section 290(c) of the California Penal Code, making those who are convicted register as sex offenders for life, their names added to a police database. That charge is essentially a life sentence, defense lawyers say, and has never been used against straight couples arrested for similar activity in Palm Springs. Adding fuel to the community anger is surveillance tape shot inside a patrol car during the sting. One officer can be heard using an anti-gay slur, while another officer laughs.

source: Article 'Palm Springs cops feel heat over gay sex sting' by Hank Plante; www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/18/IN5J1EDCEL.DTL; San Francisco Chronicle; 18 July 2010