By KATHERINE PETERSEN
Three former dancers at the Kit Kat Club pleaded guilty Nov. 17 to performing lewd sexual acts in public before the case went to trial a second time.
The first trial, held two months ago, resulted in a hung jury for conviction, Public Safety Capt. Tom Piatanesi said.
Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety officers arrested seven employees for lewd behavior on July 8, 1994. The arrests came after a five-month undercover investigation into an alleged prostitution ring being operated at the Kit Kat Club, 907 E. Arques Ave.
Shawna Sheldon of San Jose, Phaedra Hammergren of Santa Cruz and Lao Huey pleaded guilty two weeks ago. Lizabeth Joseph of San Francisco pleaded guilty soon after her July 1994 arrest.
The Santa Clara District Attorney's Office dismissed cases against three other dancers for lack of evidence. Lao spent 30 days in jail for her conviction. The other dancers convicted were fined about $300 each and placed on probation.
Public Safety served two warrants at the residences of the club owners, Ante Bilic of Saratoga and George William Orton Jr. of Mountain View, police said.
Police said that complaints and tips from private citizens sparked the investigation. Violations centered around the "X Room." Police said in an interview after the arrests that women and bouncers would solicit customers for viewing and participating in live sex acts with the dancers in this private, enclosed room.
Police added that sex acts were being performed on stage and that dancers and bouncers solicited club patrons to participate in "lap dancing," a common term for when patrons pay dancers to straddle their laps and simulate sexual intercourse by making pelvic contact, which results in ejaculation.
The District Attorney's office said that, in legal terms, this constitutes prostitution.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, Wed., December 6, 1995.
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