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Charleston Daily Mail

DAILY MAIL STAFF

Mayor Danny Jones said the city of Charleston may shut down a popular downtown nightclub after two topless women were photographed dancing in the bar last week.

Charleston Planning Director Dan Vriendt has issued a letter requiring the owners of Banana Joe's to apply for a special permit that would allow adult entertainment to be held at the bar.

A special permit from Charleston City Council and the Municipal Planning Commission is needed to feature such entertainment, Jones said.

The incident occurred when "Girls Gone Wild," the popular adult entertainment road show visited Banana Joe's on Capitol Street Friday.

" 'Girls Gone Wild' has turned into 'Banana Joe's is going to City Hall,' " Jones said. "They said they weren't going to do that in the bar, and they did it. They are running a topless bar and it's in violation of the city's adult entertainment ordinance."

Jones said the city is also concerned about the Jell-O wrestling that's featured every Friday night this month with a $250 cash prize for winners.

"This also appears to be part of a pattern of behavior occurring regularly at the club that includes incidents that have required responses by the Charleston fire and police departments," Vriendt stated in the letter.

Banana Joe's has a city permit to operate a nightclub serving beer, wine and alcoholic beverages.

Jones says he doesn't know the identities of the women photographed last weekend. But he says you can clearly tell they are half-nude in the photos, which were to be made available to the media today.

"It doesn't matter if they were customers," Jones said. "They were two topless dancers and they had their tops off. We'll allow them to come in and apply for a special permit. If it gets turned down, their very existence might be in violation of the law."

The certified letter was issued to bar owner Kevin Hensel, of Prospect, Ohio, Wednesday.

Some residents and officials reacted negatively when they first heard that a film crew would be urging young women to expose themselves or commit sexual acts for the taping.

The crew was from Mantra Films, a California-based company that peddles the "Girls Gone Wild" videos through the Internet and late- night infomercials.

Last week, a representative for Mantra said footage would be shot of people dancing inside the bar, and patrons who want to take part in raunchier scenes would be invited to step inside a bus parked nearby.

Jones said the city could not prevent the crew from taping because the event was held in a private club.

The company that films "Girls Gone Wild" has had its own tussles with the law.

Joseph Francis, owner of the Girls Gone Wild empire, was arrested in 2003 when Florida police learned that underage girls were filmed for his videos during spring break festivities in Panama City.

According to police, a video crew brought two girls to a motel where they were each paid $100 for undressing, showering together and masturbating.

Francis faced 43 charges including racketeering, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, selling obscene material and using a child in a sexual performance.

A judge, however, ruled that the videotape was not child pornography because the girls acted willingly, and Francis emerged victorious.

Banana Joe's representatives were unavailable for comment last week leading up to Friday's taping.

Contact writer Jake Stump at jakestump@dailymail.com or 348- 4842.