West Deptford 'Weighing Options' in Club Champagne Prostitution Case

Days after Saturday's prostitution sting at Club Champagne in West Deptford, authorities at the township and state level say it could be some time before any action is taken regarding operations at the facility. 


Six women from Blackwood, Broolawn, Gloucester City and Philadelphia were arrested for alleged solicitation of sex acts over the weekend, but West Dptford Acting Police Chief Samuel DiSimone said at the time that the arrests themselves are insufficient to close down the club.

"I can’t comment whether it will be closed or it won’t," DiSimone told Patch on Saturday; "that will be up to our township administrator once they see what they’ve been charged with."

On Wednesday, township administrator Eric Campo said West Deptford is analyzing its legal options under existing court orders enacted by the local zoning board when the club opened.

"The township fought to have some very specific regulations" placed on the club and its operations involving "the various stages of dress, permissible conduct, [and] attempts to keep [them] within what's allowed by the law," Campo said.

"We certainly do not comment on the police arrest, but we are reviewing our options," he said.

At the time of the arrest, DiSimone said that in general the club is not a hot spot for criminal or nuisance activity, and that its owners have lent police the use of its security monitoring footage for unrelated events as needed.

CORRECTION: An earlier draft of this story reported incorrectly that Club Champagne could face a revocation of its liquor license as a possible consequence of the investigation. The club is a B.Y.O.B. establishment.