Courts:

Adult model alleges Las Vegas company isn’t sharing profits

Friday, Nov. 6, 2009 | 11:02 a.m.

Sun courts coverage

An adult model is suing a Las Vegas company, claiming it's operating an Internet site featuring her in photos and videos but has failed to share the Web site profits with her.

Victoria Torres filed suit Thursday in Clark County District Court against operators of the Sasha Storm Web site, which charges viewers $29.95 per month to view her photos and videos.

The suit asserts claims of breach of contract, conversion, fraud, violation of the right to privacy, invasion of privacy/appropriation of likeness, racketeering and conspiracy.

"Sasha Storm is a solo girl 'softcore' site where the theme is her and her alone," Web site operator Desert Entertainment says on its site.

The defendants include Desert Entertainment of Las Vegas Inc., which could not be located for comment.

Another defendant is Desert Entertainment Group Inc., but the president of that company said it has nothing to do with the Desert Entertainment running the adult Web site.

Desert Entertainment Group is an entertainment and production company providing non-union stagehand labor as well as lighting, audio, staging, decor and talent.

President Bill Fleming said this isn't the first time his company has been mistaken for the Web site operator. In the past he's been approached by models or their family members claiming they were owed money by the Web site operators, Fleming said.

Torres says in her lawsuit that while visiting a chat room, she became acquainted with someone who said she was attractive and asked if she would like to model. She agreed to do so and met a man named "Martin," owner of the "Sweet Encounters" escort service, the lawsuit says.

In September 2005, the lawsuit says, Torres and the defendants signed a contract to launch an adult Web site featuring her to attract pay-per-view customers. It says she was to receive 30 percent of the net income generated by the Web site and that she performed in 11 videos and photo galleries.

The Web site has operated since December 2005, but Torres hasn't been paid, the suit charges.

"Defendants did fraudulently induce plaintiff to provide video and still images for Internet sale in that they never intended to pay nor did they actually pay plaintiff," the suit charges.

"The defendants knowingly made use of the plaintiff's photograph and likeness with actual knowledge that the use was unauthorized unless she was compensated," the suit alleges.

The suit seeks unspecified damages in excess of $1 million and that the court order an accounting of the Web site's finances and impose a trust on her 30 percent share.

Also named as a defendant is Martin Adler, aka Dean Danza aka Dean Martin and believed to be the "Martin" of the Sweet Encounters escort service.

Another defendant is Chris Danza aka Danny Danza aka Dirty Danza.

A request for comment on the allegations was left with Dirty Danza through the Web site Friday.

Discussion: 7 comments so far…

By short_fat_hairy

11/6/09 at 11:53 a.m.

Suggest removal

Come on over to my place, I'll console you.
By go_rebels

11/6/09 at 1:39 p.m.

Suggest removal

Real good story. This is what our news has become. Go get a real job instead of hanging out with sleazeballs. To me this is no different than a drug dealer that got ripped off. Do I care, hell no! This should be in a little tiny article in a pamplet handed out on this strip. Well at least she got free publicity from the Sun, which is probably what she wanted. Good job guys.
By steve7952

11/6/09 at 4:43 p.m.

Suggest removal

Good comment go_rebels. Leave it to her Lawyer to generate this article.
By wizardofOz

11/6/09 at 7:20 p.m.

Suggest removal

As far as I'm concerned, this is not funny. Modeling, whether adult or not, is serious business.

What I keep in mind, bluntly, is that the models only have a time/age limited "attractiveness" to sell.

The idea is the same for sports figures (no pun). Football players only last for 3-12 years, baseball, basketball and hockey nearly the same, boxing and octagon even less. And a bad injury shortens that even more. Sports people sell a time/age limited product, too.

AND BOTH MODELING AND SPORTS ARE SPECTATOR ORIENTED.

Nevada HAS to protect its legitimate business entrepreneurs and its contract law.

And it really doesn't matter if the entertainer, whether sports, modeling or otherwise, earns their living either vertically, horizontally, or both.

Legitimate business is legitimate business.
By bam1969

11/7/09 at 10:32 a.m.

Comment removed by staff.
By hacker1889

11/7/09 at 3:22 p.m.

Suggest removal

I agree with wizardofOz, a business is a business and there are laws that protect a person from being used, and it doesn't hurt that she isn't the stereotypical porn star, but hott is her own way.
By sincitysue

11/8/09 at 10 a.m.

Suggest removal

The title of this article is in no way misleading. If it's something someone doesn't care about reading, I'm wondering why they'd click on it. One previous poster even sounds pretty angry. Perhaps he was disappointed by not having a few free photos from the ppv site posted with the article.

« Previous Ten Next Ten »

Live chat: Tuesday, noon PST; Chat with Krista Creelman; Problem Gambling Center executive director Krista Creelman will answer questions about gambling addiction from Las Vegas Sun readers from noon to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. ... Submit question