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Illegal Stripping Busted At Sanford Nightclub, Four Charged

Thursday, July 31, 2008 – updated: 10:44 am EDT August 1, 2008

Several people are facing charges for what happened inside a nightclub in Sanford. Police say undercover agents found young women doing more than just serving drinks. Investigators say they were stripping for cash.

The owner of the nightclub told Eyewitness News he didn't know that was going on, but one of the dancers told a different story. She said she was only told not to prostitute herself.

Club VIP holds weekly events involving female dancers. The owner said he follows local decency rules and blames the girls for going too far.

"He didn't say nothing about we're not supposed to take off our clothes or nothing," said dancer Evelyn Torres. "Yeah, a lot of girls [took off their clothes]."

Torres, 19, is one of three women Sanford police charged with indecent exposure after an undercover operation Sunday night. It followed several complaints.

"They described various lewd acts, perhaps prostitution, drugs," said Sanford Police Chief Brian Tooley

An undercover officer reported the women danced for him nude away from the crowd. It allegedly happened in the VIP room, where the officer said two of the three women arrested went with him.

The club owner said he had security on, but no one saw a thing. The owner blames the girls. Eli Ferley also showed Eyewitness News copies of the county decency ordinance he said he had dancers read and sign.

But Torres, the hired dancer Eyewitness News tracked down, said Ferley only asked her for ID and that was four weeks ago.

"So you never asked the girls or had any knowledge of their taking off their bikinis or exposing themselves?" WFTV reporter Robert Maxwell asked Ferley.

'No, I was at home that particular night. My staff and manager know they were not supposed to do that," he said.

But Torres' brother said the club owner and his manager are avoiding their responsibility.

"You'd think he'd want to be there to make sure the rules and regulations were in place and situations like this would never get out of hand," said Christopher Charles, the arrested dancer's brother.

In the past, Sanford police confirm, they have provided security at the club, but the owner said a slower economy has forced Club VIP to rely on private security.

Police charged the bar manager, 49-year-old Paul Kimbro, with operating an illegal adult entertainment establishment without a license. That violates a Sanford city ordinance and is considered a misdemeanor.

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