(Clyman) The two people arrested last month at the Hardware Store in the Village of Clyman on prostitution charges made their initial appearances in a Dodge County courtroom Monday. Joseph Brown of Columbus and Shirley Quinn of Milwaukee are both facing one misdemeanor charge of Prostitution – Sexual Gratification, which carries a nine-month prison sentence if convicted.
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt was in full uniform while conducting a routine bar check at the establishment at 942 Main Street on September 20 when he allegedly caught Quinn in the act with Brown. According to the criminal complaint, the 25-year-old Quinn had a deer-in-headlights-look when Schmidt confronted the both of them in a private room. They denied any sexual act was going on between them.
When interviewed individually, Quinn allegedly told Schmidt that she was not making any money at the strip club and when Brown had asked her to be “spontaneous” and “do a little extra” for $100 dollars she agreed. Brown continued to deny the accusations but later admitted to giving Quinn money and said he was doing it to help her out. The 64-year-old Brown had cash bond set at $500 dollars while bond for Quinn was set at $250 dollars. Both have a one-day jury trial scheduled for December 11.
Sheriff Schmidt says often times these acts are directly linked to sex trafficking facilitated by a third party who uses violence, coercion and threats to force women into acts of prostitution for their profit. He urges those with information on prostitution or sex trafficking to come forward with that information – including women who may be caught up in the lifestyle — so that authorities can assist them in getting out safely.
The sheriff is working directly with Village of Clyman officials, providing the facts in the case for action as the board determines. In August, the village board adopted a demerit point ordinance that would allow officials to suspend or revoke the liquor license of any establishment that fails to follow the law. Prostitution is among the offenses listed and the points that could be assessed are high enough to trigger a hearing.
In April, we reported that Christopher Childs was charged in federal court with Sex Trafficking Involving Force, Fraud and Coercion. Prosecutors identified four specific victims in a criminal complaint they say were forced by the 45-year-old Childs to dance at strip clubs against their will and perform sexual acts for money that he kept. The complaint states that the prostitution occurred, among other places, inside the Hardware Store in Clyman.
