PORTSMOUTH — A 72-year-old man who was warned by the city to cease hosting his long-running swingers parties admitted Tuesday to assaulting a tenant of his Cutts Street triplex.

Joseph Ranguette, of 42 Cutts St., pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of simple assault, admitting that on Jan. 12, 2007, he hit one of his tenants during a dispute sparked by media attention to the property due to the bi-weekly sex parties.

According to police reports, Ranguettes tenant told police that after arguing about her intended move, Ranguette ended up pushing her. The woman's 26-year-old son then came to her defense, after which Ranguette punched him in the face.

In exchange for his Monday guilty plea to assaulting the son, a second assault charge was dismissed by the prosecution. Prosecutor Corey MacDonald told the court that Ranguette's criminal history was limited to a 1972 simple assault conviction.

Ranguette was represented by attorney Stan Hawthorne and, following his plea, he was sentenced to six months in the Rockingham County House of Corrections, with all of it suspended pending his good behavior for two years.

He was also fined $1,000, with $500 suspended, also pending two years of good behavior and ordered to write letters of apology to three victims.

Internet postings listed Ranguette as the host of The Middle Door sex parties and claimed they were held in the Route 1 Bypass neighborhood for over 17 years. City records show the property was under police surveillance in 2006 and 2007, prompted by a letter to state police from an irritated neighbor.

The citizen complaint reported the timing of the parties, directed police to The Middle Door Web site and said the neighbors want it stopped. It also reported people arriving in bus-like vehicles from out of state, parking problems and the opinion that charging an attendance fee for swingers — with the exception of single women — constituted prostitution.

In January 2007, city attorney Robert Sullivan told the Herald he advised Ranguette by letter that the conduct represented on The Middle Door's site "appears to be in violation of city ordinance and needs to be ceased.

The bottom line is that its zoned for residential use, and this kind of activity is not considered by the city to be normal residential use, said Sullivan.

According to The Middle Door site, the parties are for couples and singles to explore themselves, unleash their passions, discover their sensuality, try something new, watch others enjoy, or take part. City records contain pornographic images printed from the site, along with explicit photos of people claiming to be party participants

Ok, so lets think about this a minute. Yes, he was wrong for his actions. But going beyond that, they investigated this place for a year? Did you notice they didn't say what they did with the videos?

Also, the place was zone residential. This was a swingers party! What happens in someones home and between adults, couples, singles is up to them, so long as everyone agrees. I think we are protected by something called the constitution. (I could be wrong)

Here is what I don't get. In the recent news about a swingers party being protested, now this place shut down because of a zoning ordinance, I am trying to understand what is wrong with people doing what they enjoy? So we have become a society or trying to become one that says yes adults can have sex, but only with one person at at time? If you are married, you can not share your partner with others?

I would like to hear our readers sound off on this subject, lets discuss!