Vegas officials seek to restrict private dancers

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Prosecutors in Las Vegas — long known as the place where anything goes — want to take some of the sex out of Sin City and get rid of private dancers in hotel rooms.

"If you feel the need to express yourself through dance, do it at one of the clubs, join a ballet troupe," Clark County Assistant District Attorney Mike Davidson said Thursday.

Authorities have long considered the so-called outcall entertainment industry a front for prostitution. Police have used sting operations to arrest women for soliciting, but the industry flourishes.

Huge billboards of scantily clad women beckon tourists to call one of the 136 licensed outcall businesses. The Yellow Pages have dozens of pages of advertisements for "Mature Dolls," "College Cuties" and "Dream Girls of Las Vegas."

When tourists call, a dancer is sent to their hotel room. Prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas, but Davidson said many tourists don’t know that.

"People come here with some expectation that they might not have one of these in Orlando," Davidson said.

District Attorney Stewart Bell, who is seeking a judgeship, and Davidson, who is running for district attorney, want a moratorium on any new outcall business licenses, and current businesses regulated more tightly or banned altogether.

Davidson said he believes the outcall industry is responsible for an increase in sexually transmitted diseases and vice-related thefts.

Since 1998, cases of gonorrhea climbed 51 percent and chlamydia cases increased 96 percent in the county, according to county health figures. In 1998, 43 victims lost $279,468 from prostitutes who stole from their customers, according to police. Last year, police figures show 93 people reported a loss of $704,880.

And Davidson said those are just the people who reported the crimes.

Outcall service operator Vince Bartello agreed authorities should get rid of prostitution, but said his company, Hillsboro Enterprises, does not contribute to the problem.

"We’re against prostitution. It’s not happening. We’re a legitimate business," he said.

"You can have a dancer, she can dance, she can strip," Bartello said of the outcall industry. "It’s awesome, it’s great. It’s a wonderful thing that we have here in Vegas."

Clark County Commission Chairman Dario Herrera said the board should strongly consider the moratorium because it is obvious many of the businesses are offering prostitutes.

"We need to kill them off," Davidson said. "There’s an endless supply of hookers."