By Steve Green (contact)
Published Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011 | 4:29 p.m.
Updated Thursday, Jan. 20, 2011 | 5:10 p.m.
A tourist says he was traumatized when Las Vegas police threatened to arrest him after he complained about an act of prostitution in his hotel room.
Hubert Blackman of New York City filed a lawsuit this month against a Las Vegas company he identified as Las Vegas Exclusive Personals. The lawsuit says the business operates on Paradise Road.
Blackman, a college student, said in an interview Thursday that he was on vacation and staying at the Stratosphere on Dec. 17 when he called Las Vegas Exclusive Personals to arrange for a stripper to come to his room and dance for him.
Blackman said the woman, who appeared to be in her mid 20s, stripped and performed a lap dance for $155 and a sex act for another $120.
He said that the next morning, he called Las Vegas Exclusive Personals to demand his money back, saying he was dissatisfied because the entertainer didn't stay for the promised one hour and left after a half hour.
Blackman said he also told the company he was incapable of making an informed agreement with the stripper because he was drunk at the time.
Dissatisfied when Las Vegas Exclusive Personals didn't arrange for a refund, Blackman said he contacted Metro Police and was told he faced arrest for such conduct and was advised to contact the Better Business Bureau.
Instead, after returning home he filed suit in federal court in New York, charging "An escort did an illegal sexual act on me during her paid service to me'' and "I almost had gotten arrested."
Blackman said he now needs medical treatment for a mental condition related to the incident.
In the suit, which he filed without an attorney, Blackman said: "I would like the court to close the business. I also would like to get my $275 payment back and a $1.8 million verdict for the tragic event that happened."
In the interview Thursday, Blackman said it was the dancer who solicited the sex act -- but he acknowledged he was aware at the time that prostitution was illegal in Las Vegas.
The number listed in Blackman's lawsuit is used by Hillsboro Enterprises, which says it's been licensed for 17 years and provides adult dancers on a subcontractor outcall basis.
Officials at Hillsboro said Thursday they were unaware of the lawsuit or of Blackman's claims, but denied the company is involved in prostitution. They said if anyone calls looking to hire a dancer and indicates they're looking for sex, they're told prostitution is illegal in Las Vegas and all of Clark County.
