PROVIDENCE, R.I. - City Council President Michael A. Solomon said that he will introduce new legislation to ensure that minors aren't hired at adult-entertainment businesses.
Solomon said in a statement Thursday that he was prompted by the recent case of a 15-year-old Boston girl who was found working at Cheaters Gentleman's Club in South Providence. A convicted sex offender from Massachusetts is accused of trafficking her and another 15-year-old girl for prostitution.
In 2009, Solomon sponsored the city ordinance that prohibits people under the age of 18 from working at such venues; the state passed a similar law. Cheaters told The Providence Journal that the girl provided a Boston College photo ID and a Delaware drivers license with a date of birth showing she was over 21.
Solomon's proposed ordinance would require adult entertainment licensees to obtain a criminal background check for each prospective employee, for the specific purpose of age verification.
"Relying only on a driver's licenses or a state-issued photo identification card as proof of age has proven to be problematic in a number of cases at strip clubs, as IDs can be manipulated and falsified," Solomon stated in a news release. "Requiring background
checks for all employees, as a condition of the license for an adult entertainment venue, will allow owners and managers to obtain reliable information, so that they can be sure they are not violating city and state law by hiring minors.
"Most important, this requirement will protect our children from an environment that places them in harm's way--physically and emotionally," Solomon added
The ordinance will be introduced at the next City Council meeting on Sept. 5 at 7 p.m.