Antique Dealer Arrested On Obscenity Charges for Filming Underage Girls

POINCIANA, Fla. - The sign on the counter of John F. Denitto's Antique Mall read "Models Wanted Paid Hourly," but confidential sources told police in Winter Haven, where the store was located, about 30 miles south of Orlando, that within the past 30 days, a 14-year-old girl had been paid $40 to pose for nude photos in a side room of the business.

Police located and questioned the girl, who said that Denitto used the side room, which was cordoned off from the rest of the store with a white sheet across the entrance and a sign stating "Restricted Area," to "manufacture films that include males and females engaged in sexual acts."

That was enough for police to obtain a search warrant for the business, which was executed on Tuesday and turned up several photo albums of nude women, as well as a video camera, several photography books, a 35 MM camera, a Polaroid camera, several more nude photos of women, and six VHS tapes, all of which were seized.

The police investigation also revealed that Denitto's product was sent to another antique shop in Louisiana, as well as a "location in South Florida," presumably for resale. Denitto told police that he manufactured the movies for sale and charged $65 apiece.

According to the Winter Haven Sheriff's Office, Polk County Judge Kevin Abdoney determined the seized tapes to be obscene, and Denitto was arrested and charged with six counts of manufacturing obscene materials and felony wholesale promotion of obscene material.

Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Donna Wood said the investigation is ongoing.