News
Club Exotica dancer Valise Scott Dean cleared of misdemeanor sex crime
Published: Apr 29, 2004 - 01:00 AM
A Club Exotica dancer charged with a misdemeanor sex crime was acquitted Tuesday after a judge decided there was no evidence to convict her. But the judge fined 23-year-old Valise Scott Dean $200 for being late for her own trial in Bibb County State Court.
Bibb County State Court Judge William P. Adams issued a directive verdict in Dean's case less than 30 minutes after the trial began. Dean was one of 16 dancers charged in August with masturbation for hire and was the first to stand trial on the charge, the dancers' attorney, Frank Hogue, said.
Hogue said Dean has continued to work as a nude dancer since her arrest.
"The defense theory was the sheriff set out to close down Club Exotica," Hogue said. "He sent undercover officers in there over several days in order to gather any evidence he could that would allow him to raid the place and haul all the employees to jail."
Investigators said the women charged performed lap dances for undercover sheriff's deputies during an investigation at the bar in August. According to state law, a person commits masturbation for hire when the person "erotically stimulates the genital organs of another" in exchange for money.
Deputy Thomasina Brown, who also worked undercover at the nightclub, said she never saw Dean touch the undercover female deputy.
The undercover deputy who paid to have Dean perform the lap dance didn't testify during the trial because she had a medical emergency, Bibb County State Court Solicitor Otis Scarbary said.
"I would not consider (this case) one of our stronger cases," Scarbary said. "You certainly want to have your witness there to testify in a case like this, but it just didn't happen that way."
In August, sheriff's deputies raided Club Exotica after they said an undercover investigation showed dancers were performing lap dances for customers for an additional fee. Investigators said the women were performing sexual acts on customers for a fee outside their normal dance routines.
County leaders and club officials have been battling over the club's alcohol license since 2001. County officials say the club's nude dancing - Exotica is the only establishment in Bibb offering nude entertainment - is lewd. Commissioners revoked the club's liquor license based on county ordinances prohibiting nude entertainment when alcohol is being serving, but Exotica sued and remains open while the case is being adjudicated.
Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena said he could not comment on the case Tuesday, but said his deputies were enforcing county ordinances at the time of the arrest. The sheriff's department is still monitoring the situation at Club Exotica, Modena said.
Scarbary said his office will continue preparing the other 15 cases for trial. The next cases should go to trial in July.
Hogue said Dean has continued to work as a nude dancer since her arrest.
"The defense theory was the sheriff set out to close down Club Exotica," Hogue said. "He sent undercover officers in there over several days in order to gather any evidence he could that would allow him to raid the place and haul all the employees to jail."
Investigators said the women charged performed lap dances for undercover sheriff's deputies during an investigation at the bar in August. According to state law, a person commits masturbation for hire when the person "erotically stimulates the genital organs of another" in exchange for money.
Deputy Thomasina Brown, who also worked undercover at the nightclub, said she never saw Dean touch the undercover female deputy.
The undercover deputy who paid to have Dean perform the lap dance didn't testify during the trial because she had a medical emergency, Bibb County State Court Solicitor Otis Scarbary said.
"I would not consider (this case) one of our stronger cases," Scarbary said. "You certainly want to have your witness there to testify in a case like this, but it just didn't happen that way."
In August, sheriff's deputies raided Club Exotica after they said an undercover investigation showed dancers were performing lap dances for customers for an additional fee. Investigators said the women were performing sexual acts on customers for a fee outside their normal dance routines.
County leaders and club officials have been battling over the club's alcohol license since 2001. County officials say the club's nude dancing - Exotica is the only establishment in Bibb offering nude entertainment - is lewd. Commissioners revoked the club's liquor license based on county ordinances prohibiting nude entertainment when alcohol is being serving, but Exotica sued and remains open while the case is being adjudicated.
Bibb County Sheriff Jerry Modena said he could not comment on the case Tuesday, but said his deputies were enforcing county ordinances at the time of the arrest. The sheriff's department is still monitoring the situation at Club Exotica, Modena said.
Scarbary said his office will continue preparing the other 15 cases for trial. The next cases should go to trial in July.
