Orlando strip club employees arrested after deputies find 15-year-old dancer working there
Johnson, Sinclair, and DeValle each made their first appearances in court on Wednesday, April 5
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Four employees at a Florida strip club were arrested after allegedly allowing a 15-year-old girl to perform at the club for several years, court records show.
William Sierer, who owns Flash Dancer in Orlando, and three managers at the club — general manager Johnathan Johnson, assistant manager Kimberly Sinclair, and manager Paul DeValle — were all arrested and charged with human trafficking of a child under 18, FOX 35 Orlando reported.
The unnamed girl was reportedly hired to work at the club in 2019 when she was just 15 years old. She worked there, still dancing, until 2021, despite still being just 17, according to the affidavit.
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The court documents alleged Sierer and the managers hired her without seeing a real ID or her license to dance — which is required in the state of Florida.
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The teen later told Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation deputies that she provided the business a fake birthdate before starting there and that her reason for the job was to support herself and her mother, FOX Orlando reported.
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The bureau’s investigative report shows she worked at Cleo’s Gentlemen's Club before joining Flash Dancer. A multi-year investigation found the teen was allowed to illegally work at the club dozens of times.
The arrests were made in April 2021, after the teen was involved in a traffic stop where she was a passenger in a vehicle leaving the club.
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During the stop, she allegedly provided her name and a fake birthdate to the deputy, who pulled over the vehicle as its rear lights were out.
The deputy was able to confirm her real date of birth and saw she had multiple warrants. She was subsequently taken into custody and transported to the Juvenile Assessment Center.
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Johnson, Sinclair, and DeValle each made their first appearances in court on Wednesday, April 5, when a judge ordered a stay on their no-bond status, according to WESH.
Sierer did not make an appearance due to medical reasons, his attorney said, although he will appear at a later time.