San Antonio club owner Oscar Merlo Jr. faces severe charges after allegedly hiring an underage girl to work at his establishment, Chateau Chanel Night Club. According to KSAT, the 41-year-old is accused of exploitation and sexual assault of a child, which has led to his arrest and a $200,000 bond. Court records divulge that the girl in question, a 14-year-old, was hired knowing her true age, a fact that Merlo exploited by allegedly providing fake identification denoting her as 19 years old.
During her recovery interview, the victim stated to have been paid $300-400 a night to offer bottle service and "entertainment" in the VIP section of the club. As Fox San Antonio reports, the girl also revealed being in a "sexually based relationship" with Merlo. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and a collaborative effort with the U.S. Marshals Service, played key roles in safely locating the then-missing juvenile.
The Chateau Chanel's social media pages inadvertently contributed to the investigation by showing posts of the young girl at the premises, thereby corroborating her involvement with the club. This discovery was made amidst a background of various emergency calls related to the club's address, including shootings and disturbances reported by KSAT. The nightclub, which was the site of a shooting in August resulting in a woman being shot multiple times, has since been shut down.
At present, Merlo Jr. is detained at the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, facing accusations that have not only disrupted a local business but have brought to light the grim reality of child exploitation within our city.
