Four people have been arrested after an Orlando, Florida, strip club allegedly employed a minor as a dancer.
Citing documents from the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigations, WESH reported Willie Sierer, the owner of the Flash Dancer club, Johnathan Johnson, the club’s general manager, Kimberly Sinclair, the club’s assistant manager, and Paul Delvalle, also a manager, were arrested for allegedly allowed an underage female to dance at the club without proof of age or the license required to work as a dancer in the state of Florida.
FOX 35 reported the four were each charged with one count of human trafficking for commercial sexual activity of a child under 18.
The girl’s alleged minor status was uncovered in 2021, per WESH:
According to the documents, it all started with a traffic stop in February of 2021. An officer stopped a car leaving the strip club because its rear lights were out. Inside the car was the teenage dancer.
According to the report, she lied to the officer about her age and when he figured out her real birthday, he found she had warrants.
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From there, investigators say they learned the teen had danced at Flash Dancer – and Cleo’s Gentlemen’s Club before that.
WFTV reported the recent arrests followed a two-year investigation and that no previous strip club owner or operator has been arrested on these charges in Orange County.
Police say each of the four suspects had managerial authority over employees.
FOX 35 reported the girl allegedly claimed she had used a fake birthdate to begin working at the club and had worked at another club in the past. She also reportedly claimed she was working as a dancer to support herself and her mother.
“We believe the first time that she performed there, she was 15,” Ron Stucker, Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation Director, said, per WFTV.