The city liquor board on Thursday fined two clubs on The Block after a man was found to have exposed himself in one and a dancer fondled the genitals of a patron in the other.
Circus Bar at 427 E. Baltimore St. was fined $3,000 after a liquor board inspector said he observed a man with his penis exposed receiving a lap dance from a dancer June 16. The bar's owner testified that he immediately fired the dancer and told the board there was nothing more he could have done to stop the incident. The inspector stopped short of saying the couple was having sex. It was Circus Bar's third offense in the past year.
The board later fined Red Room at 411 E. Baltimore St. $4,025 after an inspector testified to watching a dancer caress the exposed genitals of a patron March 4. The owner for Red Room was found guilty of a similar charge in December 2009.
"There is no question prostitution occurred here," said liquor board chairman Stephan Fogleman.