Adult star is arrested over claims of touching
AMERICAN ADULT actress Stormy Daniels was arrested at an Ohio strip club and is accused of letting patrons touch her in violation of a state law, her lawyer has said.
Michael Avenatti said while Daniels was performing on at Sirens, a strip club in Columbus, some patrons touched her in a “non-sexual” way.
He told MSNBC that police had prepared a sting operation with multiple officers.
Daniels has said she had sex with President Donald Trump in 2006, when he was married, which Mr Trump has denied.
She is suing Mr Trump and his former longtime personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, and seeking to invalidate a nondisclosure agreement that she signed days before the 2016 presidential election.
Mr Avenatti said the sting was “an absurd use of law enforcement resources”.
An Ohio law known as the Community Defence Act prohibits anyone who is not a family member touching a nude or semi-nude dancer.
Columbus police said Daniels’s arrest was part of a long-term human trafficking investigation of illegal activity at city adult clubs.
They said they have made numerous arrests under the law regarding illegal sexually oriented activity in a sexually oriented business.
Daniels was released on bail before 6am local time on Thursday. Court records show she posted 6,000 dollars (£4,500).
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, faces three misdemeanour counts of touching a patron at a “sexually oriented” business in violation of an Ohio strip club law.
Mr Avenatti said that a not guilty plea to all counts would be entered on his client’s behalf on Thursday, so she would not have to make a court appearance on Friday.