Teen, Parents, Performer Arrested After Stripper Party

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department is warning parents to watch for what they say is a new trend among teenagers--stripper parties.

The warning comes after the arrest this week of 18-year-old Jason Fritz and his parents, Craig Fritz, 42, and Julie Fritz, 38, of Thousand Oaks. Authorities say that a stripper hired to perform at a February party at the Fritz home performed lewd acts with a minor.

They base their claim on photographs that circulated at Thousand Oaks High School and interviews with the party guests, Sheriff’s Det. Kent Adlof said. He declined to say whether the photographs showed a sex act.

Craig and Julie Fritz were arrested on suspicion of contributing to the delinquency of minors, a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, Adlof said. Their arraignment is scheduled for late May.

The stripper, Candida Fleeman, 25, of Burbank, was arrested on suspicion of committing lewd acts with a minor, a felony. She will be arraigned today.

Jason Fritz, 18, was arrested for allegedly possessing a fake driver’s license.

“This wasn’t the first stripper party a lot of these kids had attended,” Adlof said. “A lot of them said it’s something they have done before.”

Adlof and investigators concluded that stripper parties are becoming popular with high school students of both genders.

Jason Fritz says the charge of lewd conduct isn’t true.

“She didn’t do what they said she did. She just stripped,” he said, adding that he has attended such parties before. “Hey, there’s nothing new here. . . . It’s been around for a while.”

Ahzriel Addams of Simply Seductive, a Ventura-based adult entertainment agency, agreed.

“About 10% of my business is parents hiring strippers for their kids’ 18th birthday,” she said, adding that her employees have strict instructions not to perform before minors.

The law can be murky on the legalities of strippers and underage voyeurs, Adlof said.

“It kind of depends on the circumstances. It’s a pretty broad section of the penal code,” he said. “This situation is unique in my experience, so it’s hard for me to say.”