Armidale detectives swooped on the Lusticus business on Miller St at 11.30am on Thursday, after a tip-off that Ms Mooney was selling X-rated 18 years-plus classification films.

The items were taken to Armidale Police Station and will be sent to the NSW classification review board to have their classifications confirmed.

Detective Sergeant Matt Crotty of New England Local Area Command told The Express that “if they are confirmed as being of that X 18-plus classification, we’ll be laying charges against the owner of the premises”.

While Ms Mooney concedes that she wrongly had the 56 films for sale, she said the raid was the latest in a series of police attempts to “harass and victimise me”.

In relation to Thursday’s police bust, she told The Express: “I had just opened the shop and before I knew it there were eight coppers walking through the door. It blew me away and I felt intimidated.

“I admit I’m in the wrong for selling these films. But nowhere in the fine-print of the catalogues I’m buying these DVDs from does it say it’s illegal for sale in NSW.

“Being an owner of an adult shop, though, I should have looked into that, but I didn’t. I didn’t do my homework. It’s not illegal to own them, but it’s illegal to sell them.

“It still doesn’t change the fact that the cops are trying to get to me.”

Ms Mooney claimed that local police had been unfairly targeting her family, friends and her partner Heath, who is a member of the Rebels bikie gang.

“I don’t know what else the cops think they’re going to find out the back of my business: a knock shop, 200 Chinese girls in a corner, or a big bikie gang hiding out,” she said. “I’m just the small fish in the bigger picture here.

“I have a feeling the local cops are after the outlaw side of things, and they are a bit jealous they are missing out because it’s all happening in Sydney.

“My parter is a member of the Rebels, but that has nothing to do at all with the shop.

I own it, I run it and my partner, who is a family man, doesn’t even work here.”

Det-Sgt Crotty strongly denied the harassment claims, but confirmed that local detectives were suspicious of the sex shop having OMCG (Outlaw Motor Cycle Gang) links.

“I definitely deny that any harassment has taken place,” he said. “That sort of business, particularly given there hasn’t been adult sex shops in Armidale, obviously we’re going to be having a close look at it, because potentially there are offences that are going to be committed.

“It’s just been our normal police practice that we look at compliance issues.

“The matters in relation to supplying those X-rated videos are separate to any matter on a motorcyle gang. But we’re certainly aware that Heath is her partner and therefore the shop is likely to have links with OMCG.

“As the cops in town here, we’re always going to try to get information on what their activities are. We make no apologies for getting in the face of OMCG, or anyone linked with OMCG.”

Ms Mooney said police had questioned her about alleged OMCG links.

“The police have been into my shop several times since I opened and have asked me about bikie gangs and whether the Comancheros are coming to town,” she said. “Every night I leave the shop there are cops around. I’m under surveillance, my phone is bugged, my computer is clearly being monitored by them.

“Our friend’s shed in the industrial estate has also been targeted. They have Harleys, but it’s not a Rebels clubhouse.”

She said the focus on her restricted premises was worse than she had expected when she opened in mid-March.

“The harassment has stressed me out, and I’m getting legal advice about it,” she said. “But the business has been going well.

“We get new faces in every day. I’ve even had a 94-year-old woman in here. She wanted to come in and see what an adult shop looked like before she died, she told me. She said that it was wonderful and that she didn’t know what the town was going on about.

“This is a viable business, and I’m just an average girl trying to have a go.”