By Janice Morse
The Cincinnati Enquirer

MIDDLETOWN - A female dancer's paid private performances crossed the line into "sexual activity," an appeals court has ruled, so her conviction on three misdemeanor prostitution charges will stand.

In a decision released this week, the Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals ruled that a jury had sufficient evidence to "infer that the dances were not regular couch dances, but were, in actuality, performances of sexual activity."

A Lebanon Municipal Court jury in September convicted Jana Ullman, a dancer at Bristol's Show Club & Revue, after testimony showed that she and another dancer engaged in sexual conduct after undercover officers paid them for private dances.

Ullman, of Fairfield, was among 26 dancers, managers and others police arrested during a March 2002 raid of the adult club. The raid followed several months of investigation by the Warren County Drug Task Force and other agencies.

One dancer, Terri Thornton, was acquitted in the first Bristol's case to go to trial. The remaining cases have been resolved, said Lebanon City Attorney Mark Yurick.

Authorities on Wednesday would not say whether there are any new investigations of the establishment.

E-mail jmorse@enquirer.com