Toppled king of sex tease clubs given probation, fine

It took a decade of dogged pursuit to topple the king of the so-called sex tease clubs, but in the end, Terry Gordon's punishment was only three years on probation and a $25,000 fine.

Thursday's sentencing came long after the closure of the clubs amid escalating public outcry, and Gordon will be saddled with a felony conviction on his record for obtaining money under false pretenses.

He also must pay $10,000 to the district attorney's office to reimburse it for the prosecution costs and $5,000 in restitution to victims. If he fails probation, Gordon will have to serve three years behind bars.

Gordon's clubs, which were scattered around Las Vegas, enticed gullible tourists with naked women and beguiling talk of sexual fulfillment.

The only requirement was the purchase of a bottle or two of nonalcoholic champagne at prices ranging from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.

But there was no sex, and visits with women to back rooms resulted in nothing more than nude dancing by the women. Irate patrons were summarily ejected from the clubs by burly security guards.

Because the clubs did not serve alcohol and had general business licenses, governmental officials were at a loss to control the operations, and complaints piled up.

But in 1994 Deputy District Attorney Frank Ponticello obtained a grand jury indictment against Gordon and his manager, John Sweeney, on 19 felony counts.

In District Judge Sally Loehrer's courtroom in March, the 58-year-old Gordon ended his marathon court battle three days before his scheduled trial by pleading guilty to the single felony count involving his clubs' operations in 1991 through 1993.

He and Sweeney, 36, admitted their employees misled customers into believing they were going to have sexual encounters as part of "entertainment packages" they were buying.

Although prostitution is a crime in Clark County, accepting money for sex and then not delivering also is a crime.

One attorney not connected to the case joked after the March hearing that Gordon and Sweeney apparently "were guilty of conspiring not to commit prostitution."

Sweeney pleaded guilty to a gross misdemeanor count of conspiracy to obtain money under false pretenses. He will be sentenced June 17.

As part of Gordon's plea bargain, prosecutors agreed not to pursue perjury charges or file civil actions against him.

Gordon's last chance to avoid prosecution ended two years ago when the Nevada Supreme Court rejected his appeal, but delays in the paperwork reaching District Court postponed the trial for months.

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