City codes make adult businesses unlikely here
With a Nashville woman facing charges for hiring a stripper for her 16-year-old son’s birthday party, questions have arose as to what lengths those seeking adult entertainment can go in Warren County.
The Nashville case, involving Anette Pharris who hired a stripper with the stage name of “Sassy” to strip at her son’s party, awaits trial as the mother, stripper and others face criminal charges for the incident.
“Something like that we would charge without hesitation,” said District Attorney General Dale Potter of a scenario where minors are present at such a show in Warren County. “It’s illegal for minors to enter adult businesses, therefore it’s just as illegal for someone to try to get around the law by bringing the adult entertainment to a private home.”
The Nashville case involved not only the teen-age son, but also several of his underage friends.
The party, which also allegedly involved drug use, was brought to attention of Metro Police when people at the party attempted to have photos of the stripper developed at a store.
“It could be that a person wouldn’t even have to be completely nude. If the dance is suggestive enough, they could still face charges for solicitation of a minor,” Potter said. “And, according to the extent of contact, we could be looking at felony charges.”
While exotic dancing and adult entertainment is strictly forbidden for minors, the industry also has quite a hurdle if it wants to see the light of day in McMinnville as a six-page sexually oriented adult business code makes location of any adult business in McMinnville highly improbable. The code regulates all kinds of adult businesses including adult-only stores, adult cabarets, adult movie stores, adult motels, massage parlors, rap parlors and adult saunas.
The city code spells out who can own and operate such businesses as well as where they can be located in the city. The ordinances make the operation of such businesses in the city limits very difficult.
However, home entertainment is more of a gray area as the privacy in one’s home, provided minors are not present, allows more leeway. While the city strongly regulates adult businesses, things like exotic dancers in a private residence or at a private party are limited only by the state’s exotic dancer licenser system.
According to the state, exotic dancers must obtain an exotic dancer license if they make over $3,000 a year. The license is good so long as it is used in the state of Tennessee and there are no local laws forbidding such actions.
Although public decency laws would cover any incident where such exotic dancing could be seen by the general public, the extent of the actions, according to Potter, would determine where the line of legality is crossed.
“There is a line, of course, where exotic dancing could cross over into prostitution which is illegal,” Potter said.
In an attempt to stem such gray areas, the city of Nashville, which does have several adult-oriented businesses, enacted a three-foot rule whereby dancers and customers can come no closer than three feet from one another, effectively ending what was formerly known as the lap dance. The closest exotic dancing establishment to Warren County is the Midnight Express outside of Smithville.