Lawsuit Sponsored by Anti-Porn Lobby Aims to Shut Down Las Vegas' Sapphire Club

Lawsuit Sponsored by Anti-Porn Lobby Aims to Shut Down Las Vegas' Sapphire Club

LAS VEGAS — Religiously motivated anti-porn and anti-sex-work lobby NCOSE has filed a lawsuit aiming to shut down one of Las Vegas’ premier strip clubs, Sapphire Las Vegas.

The lawsuit also targets the Chicken Ranch, an unrelated full-service sex work establishment. The suit is part of the well-funded Washington, D.C.-based conservative group's campaign to challenge all legal sex work in Nevada.

NCOSE, formerly known as Morality in Media, announced in an Aug. 31 statement that its lawsuit against Sapphire and the Chicken Ranch had been allowed to proceed by the U.S. District Court, District of Nevada.

“In the lawsuit filed by the National Center on Sexual Exploitation Law Center (NCOSE) and Jason Guinasso, an attorney with Hutchison & Steffen, PLLC,” the NCOSE statement read, “the plaintiffs, Jane Doe #1 and Jane Doe #2, are seeking to hold the defendants responsible for protecting the sex trade and enabling sex slavery, in violation of the 13th Amendment and the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act.”

NCOSE alleges that plaintiff Jane Doe #2 “was sex trafficked in Nevada through legal strip clubs, including the Sapphire Gentleman’s Club,” and NCOSE’s senior legal counsel, Christen Price, stated her belief that “prostitution is rife in these legal entities, and under federal law it is sex trafficking.”

Conflating all legal sex work with “sex trafficking” has been one of the key strategies used by NCOSE in its ambitious quest to outlaw all consensual sex work, one of the group's core goals. NCOSE has seen its operational budget balloon in the last three years thanks to a surge in tax-free donations, enabling the organization to engage in “lawfare” by using civil litigation in pursuit of its political goals.

Originally, NCOSE also planned to sue Steve Sisolak, the governor of Nevada; Aaron Ford, the state's attorney general; the city of Las Vegas; and Nevada’s Clark County and Nye County. However, the court ruled that the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue those parties.

NCOSE and its legal associate are appealing that ruling.

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Agatha Vega Fronts Latest From Ricky's Room

Reigning XMA Europas Female Performer of the Year Agatha Vega stars in the latest release from Ricky's Room, titled "Agatha Habla Sucio."

Taylor Vixxen Makes Her MILFY Debut

Taylor Vixxen has made her debut for Vixen Media Group (VMG) studio imprint MILFY, alongside Dan Damage.

Catherine Knight Makes Her Vixen Debut

Catherine Knight has made her Vixen debut alongside Dan Damage.

Andi Avalon Headlines 'Slutty Nurses 3' From Reality Junkies

Andi Avalon toplines the third volume of "Slutty Nurses" from Mile High Media studio imprint Reality Junkies.

TeamSkeet, MYLF to Launch New Website FamilyStrokes.com

Sister studios TeamSkeet and MYLF are launching a new website, FamilyStrokes.com.

AV Watch: Age Verification Hits the Mainstream, Ofcom Sets a Date

Industry stakeholders and free speech advocates have anxiously been awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision in Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton, which could significantly impact state age verification laws around the country. In the meantime, state legislatures continue to weigh and pass AV bills, AV tech providers continue to tout their services, and legal challenges continue to play out in the courts — with some cases on hold pending the SCOTUS ruling in Paxton.

2025 XMA Creator Awards Nominees Announced

XBIZ is pleased to announce the official nominees for the 2025 XMA Creator Awards, presented by premium creator platform Fansly.

Eve Sweet, Stefany Kyler Front VMG Cross-Site 'In Vogue' Sequel

Vixen Angels Eve Sweet and Stefany Kyler headline the new Vixen Media Group (VMG) cross-site feature "In Vogue 2," which will be released across studio imprints Blacked, Vixen, and Tushy.

Cherie DeVille, Silvia Saige Drop Trailer for New OnlyFans Series

Multi-XMAs winner Cherie DeVille and Silvia Saige have dropped a trailer for their new OnlyFans game show series, “Wankaoke,” premiering May 5.

Anita Rover, Alice Drake Topline Dorcel's 'Wild'

Anita Rover and Alice Drake headline the latest feature from Dorcel, titled “Wild.”

Show More