Last Friday afternoon, a team consisting of a photographer, a lookout and myself - appropriately dressed in the uniform of a popular Kingston high school - travelled to the busy Half-Way Tree area where illegal pornographic tapes are known to be available in abundance.

When we got there, it became apparent that locating the videos would be quite an easy task as several 'burnt' copies of soon-to-be released movies and pornographic films could be seen lying on tarpaulin along the sidewalks.

A wide range

I cautiously approached my potential dealer, a man who looked to be in his late 20s. Carefully, I surveyed his collection, quickly realising there was a wide range of pornographic tapes to suit every taste.

"Yuh see sumting yuh like schoolers?" asked the vendor, obviously happy at the prospect of making a sale. "Yuh watch Iron Man yet?"

"How much for your DVDs?" I asked.

He replied: "$200 each."

I was a bit reluctant to enquire about the pornographic DVDs, assuming I would be refused sale or, worse yet, reprimanded for my disgraceful attempts.

I decided I would start out small and so I coyly picked up a copy of a Passa Passa dancehall video. Though not hardcore porn, these videos are usually packed with images of dancehall revellers often simulating sex acts.

I looked at the parental advisory sticker clearly positioned on the cover of the tape and enquired about the cost. It's the same as all the other videos, the man informed.

More hardcore

I decided to take my chances and go for something more hardcore. I took up a copy of a porn video with images of Latin women in sexually explicit positions on the cover.

"Mi want dis one and the Passa Passa video," I said. He quickly walked over to my side and took the tapes from my hand. Now I was certain he was going to ask my age.

"Mi just a check fi mek sure di case nuh empty," he said, as he gave me back the tapes.

I gave him my $500 bill.

Yuh want a next one," he asked, as he grabbed the money from my hand.

"Yuh giving me another one?" I asked in shock.

"Yeah, tek one more, anyting yuh want."

So I took up my bonus copy of porn. This time the tape had a photo of the male genitalia with a young girl, with legs spread open, staring in shock at the image.

I breathed a sigh of relief, signalled to my photographer that all was well, and departed the busy Half-Way Tree square.