Video: Pony Dancers, Staff Found Guilty

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LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) — Fifteen months after state agents said they were dancing nude and serving alcohol to minors, three dancers, a bartender and manager are found guilty.

But a Lowndes County Justice Court judge found Charles Westlund, owner of The Pony, not guilty of any wrong because he lives in California and wasn’t present when agents visited the Lowndes County night spot on Sept. 30, 2011.

Dancers Jessica Pitts, 31, Jessica Herring, 21, and Meagan Ferguson, 22, were found guilty of indecent exposure.

Pitts and Ferguson were fined $299 while Herring was fined $334. Bartender Jean Coggins, 19, was fined $347 for selling beer to a minor. And club manager John Bernstein, 42, was fined $548 for allowing unlawful acts.

The verdicts came after several hours of testimony Tuesday.

State law requires exotic dancers to not be completely nude. Such clubs can have a beer license but must abide by state laws concerning age limits. State Alochol Beverage Control Board agents said they saw the three women dancing totally nude for customers, the bartender serve underage customers while the manager “obviously” knew what was going on.