TAMPA, Fla. -- Porn website purveyor Dirty D was arrested early Sunday in a Florida adult theater for allegedly committing the same acts one can see on some of his sites.
Dirty D, whose real name is Michael Storm, confirmed he was arrested at the Playhouse Adult Theater in Tampa's Drew Park area around 1 a.m. with two others and charged with exposure, and lewd and lascivious conduct.
"It's basically the city trying to embarrass people, but that's kind of hard in my case -- how do you embarrass a pornographer?" he told AVN Online. "What do people do in a dark adult theater with paid admission? What do they do when they watch porn?"
"As I've been telling people, I thought of the Pee-Wee Herman thing," he said. "But I don't do a children's show and I am a pornographer. I am a pervert. Everybody knows it. The content I shoot, the things I'm known for ... they're similar to this type of thing."
There was no reason to take him down to the Orient Road station, fingerprint him and take a mug shot other than an attemptat humiliation, he said.
Storm's companies include Web Wizard Inc., talent agency TampaNudeModels.com and affiliate program HowIGotRich.com, a network of 17 sites such as PartyWildNaked.com. TheaterSluts.com and GloryHoleGirlz.com. His content is distributed on DVD by Kick Ass Pictures.
"Most people arrested for a misdemeanor get a ticket and go home," he told AVN Online. "By actually arresting you, that makes it more of a public record. They wouldn't even allow me to smile on the mug shot. That's another interesting trick; nobody takes a good mug shot if that's the rule."
Police entered the theater, flashlight beams darting all over the place like light sabers.
"It's so dark, you can't see, literally, 2, 3 feet away, and they come in shining flashlights on everybody and arrest anybody they think is behaving inappropriately. And I wasn't exposing myself. It's a strange thing to do; normally, police respond to complaints. And clearly, no one was complaining."
Though declined to comment on police treatment, having no interest to "infuriate law enforcement," Dirty D has no doubt it's all political. Police are only focusing on the Drew Park region, though adult businesses can be found throughout the city.
"Tampa has lots of underground debauchery: swing clubs, nudist resorts, fetish clubs," he said. "They're trying to embarrass people at a specific location, but there are adult bookstores all over the city and only one small area is being attacked. Adult theaters outside of the neighborhood aren't having these issues. That's local politics."
"What they're trying to do to people is shameful," he added. "They're trying to get you fired from your job, in trouble with your wife. But that's not going to work with me. But clearly, this effort's being done."
Also arrested were Robert Bass, 49, and Shirley Fetty, 70. Dirty D.and Bass were released after each posting $750 bonds, though most misdemeanors usually don't require it. No court date has been set.
"It was a good way to waste six hours of your time and get a terrible baloney sandwich," Dirty D told AVN Online. "At least that's what they said it was.
"What I was doing isn't surprising to anybody," he continued. "Dirty D masturbates. People masturbate. If people question it, why are they in this industry?"
