An owner and three managers of a Florida strip club have been arrested after allegedly hiring a 15-year-old girl as a performer who danced at the club for two years, Fox 35 reported.
Owner of Flash Dance Orlando, William Sierer, along with general manager Johnathan Johnson, assistant manager and “house mom” Kimberly Sinclair, and manager Paul DeValle are facing one count of human trafficking for commercial sexual activity of a child under 18, Fox News 35 reported.
ACROSS FLORIDA: Four people were arrested after deputies said they trafficked a teen who had been working at an Orlando strip club since she was 15 years old. https://t.co/H2LfqHJP54
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) April 5, 2023
Prosecutors allege that Sierer and his managers hired the unnamed minor in 2019 at the age of 15 without verifying her name, date of birth, or license, the outlet reported. The girl allegedly continued to work at the club through 2021 as a 17-year-old minor. (RELATED: State Police Officer Arrested Over Role In Prostitution And Gambling Ring That He Allegedly Ran Out Of His Strip Club)
Authorities were alerted to the situation after a routine traffic stop outside of the club in February 2021. The unnamed minor, a passenger in the car, reportedly provided the attending deputy with her name but offered up a fake birthdate which was summarily discovered by the officer, according to Fox 35. After running her correct birthday, the officer discovered the girl had outstanding warrants and subsequently transported her to the Juvenile Assessment Center, WESH News reported.
While at the center, the unnamed minor revealed her employment at the club, allegedly telling authorities she had provided her employers with a fake birth date. She allegedly explained to authorities that she took the job in order to provide for herself and her mother, adding that she had reportedly worked at another strip club six months prior to her employment at Flash Dance Orlando, according to Fox 35.
If convicted, Sierer and the three managers face a maximum penalty of life in prison, the outlet reported.