{"id":253011,"date":"2026-04-16T18:46:24","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T18:46:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/253011\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T18:46:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T18:46:24","slug":"pandoras-mens-club-loses-appeal-to-restore-permits-over-prostitution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/253011\/","title":{"rendered":"Pandora\u2019s Men\u2019s Club loses appeal to restore permits over prostitution"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img alt=\"Pandora\u2019s Men\u2019s Club is located on Harry Hines Boulevard in northwest Dallas.\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:4 \/ 3\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Pandora\u2019s Men\u2019s Club is located on Harry Hines Boulevard in northwest Dallas.<\/p>\n<p>Robert Wilonsky<\/p>\n<p>Dallas\u2019 permit and license appeals board on Thursday rejected Pandora\u2019s Men\u2019s Club\u2019s bid to get back its dance hall license and late-hours permit, siding with the city in a case tied to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/opinion\/commentary\/2026\/02\/17\/wilonsky-why-police-feds-finally-busted-nw-dallas-brothel-and-adult-book-store\/\" data-link=\"native\" class=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">allegations of prostitution<\/a> at the northwest Dallas business.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn-channels-pixel.ex.co\/events\/0012000001fxZm9AAE?integrationType=DEFAULT&amp;template=design%2Farticle%2Fplatypus_two_column.tpl\" alt=\"\" class=\"x1px y1px vh abs\" aria-hidden=\"true\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Assistant City Attorney Charlotta Riley told the City Council-appointed board that the nightclub had long operated as a sexually oriented business, but after surrendering its license in November, it \u201ccontinued to operate as an illegal strip club where management not only knowingly allowed but facilitated and profited from prostitution occurring inside the club.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis location was operating more like a brothel than a nightclub,\u201d Riley said in her opening statements.<\/p>\n<p>The board voted unanimously to affirm Dallas police Chief Daniel Comeaux\u2019s decision to revoke the permits in January. In the weeks after Pandora\u2019s surrendered its sexually oriented business license, police launched undercover operations that resulted in at least two prostitution-related arrests, according to city documents.<\/p>\n<p>The enforcement against Pandora\u2019s reflects the city\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/news\/public-safety\/2025\/06\/03\/dallas-pd-told-not-to-enforce-controversial-prostitution-ordinance-even-after-revisions\/\" data-link=\"native\" class=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">push to regulate sexually oriented businesses<\/a> after years of litigation delayed the implementation of its new rules. Those restrictions, which the City Council passed in 2022, took effect last year after the city prevailed in court.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Make Dallas News a preferred source so your search results prioritize writing by actual people, not AI.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=dallasnews.com\" data-link=\"native\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Add Preferred Source\" class=\"td300 cp f aic jcc disabled:cd wsn px24 y40px px16 py8 buttonSm fs13 xs:fs16 xs:buttonLg bg-primaryAccessible hover:o80 c-white disabled:bg-gray300 disabled:c-gray600 border bn tac br2\"><\/p>\n<p>Add Preferred Source<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>T. Craig Sheils, an attorney for Danny &amp; Jimmy\u2019s Entertainment, Pandora\u2019s parent company, questioned the allegations and argued that the club\u2019s licenses should not have been revoked. He said the club surrendered its sexually oriented business license because it had changed its business model, not to avoid stricter city rules.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>City officials have said some clubs, including Pandora\u2019s, gave up their sexually oriented business licenses but kept operating under less restrictive dance hall and late-hours permits.<\/p>\n<p>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/opinion\/commentary\/2026\/02\/17\/wilonsky-why-police-feds-finally-busted-nw-dallas-brothel-and-adult-book-store\/\" data-link=\"native\" class=\"\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wilonsky: Why police, feds finally busted NW Dallas &#8216;brothel&#8217; and adult book store<\/a><\/p>\n<p>During the permit hearing, the city called Sgt. Thaddeus Hasse, a Dallas police vice officer who took part in the Pandora\u2019s investigation, to testify. He drew on 12 years of experience as an undercover narcotics detective, saying, \u201cI can say that almost during my entire time, I\u2019m aware of prostitution cases being made inside that location.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sheils called Brian Vest, a regional manager overseeing Pandora\u2019s, to testify. He denied the allegations the business had allowed prostitution, arguing it regularly took steps to protect women working there. Those arrested by police, he said, no longer worked there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>Also in January, Comeaux denied the renewal of a dance hall license for The Platinum Club, another northwest Dallas business run by the same business group. The board voted unanimously to reverse the chief\u2019s decision, citing procedural issues with the notice and saying the city did not lay out evidence showing prostitution allegations against that business.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1775016909_917_rawImage.jpg\" alt=\"image\" title=\"#\" class=\"x100\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall c-gray600\">By signing up, you agree to our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/terms\/\" data-link=\"native\" class=\"underlinedButton fw500 tuo1px tdu tuo2px tdc-secondary tdt-px hover:o70 td300\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Terms Of Use<\/a> and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dallasnews.com\/privacy\/\" data-link=\"native\" class=\"underlinedButton fw500 tuo1px tdu tuo2px tdc-secondary tdt-px hover:o70 td300\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The board\u2019s votes also come after the city sued Danny &amp; Jimmy\u2019s Entertainment in February, alleging multiple code violations, including knowingly allowing prostitution on the Pandora\u2019s property.<\/p>\n<p>The city\u2019s lawsuit against Danny &amp; Jimmy\u2019s Entertainment was ongoing as of the board hearing. In an amended filing this month, the city asked the judge to take control of Pandora\u2019s away from its owners and place the property under a court-appointed receiver.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>If approved, an outside party would take possession of the property, make repairs needed to bring it into compliance with city code and take steps to reduce or eliminate the criminal activity described in the lawsuit. The receiver would also be required to file a full accounting with the court detailing repair costs, expenses and any income generated by the property.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pandora\u2019s Men\u2019s Club is located on Harry Hines Boulevard in northwest Dallas. Robert Wilonsky Dallas\u2019 permit and license&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":253012,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[102,104,103,95603,89139,88951],"class_list":{"0":"post-253011","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-dallas","8":"tag-dallas","9":"tag-dallas-headlines","10":"tag-dallas-news","11":"tag-news-crime","12":"tag-tp-dallas-police","13":"tag-tp-northwest-dallas"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=253011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/253011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/253012"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=253011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=253011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=253011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}