Prostitution is not an uncommon problem at Ames’ Big Earl’s Goldmine, said Ames Police Sgt. Craig Reid Tuesday afternoon.

Iowa State student Ian Pieper, 19, of 1463 Helser Hall, and dancer Lia Giakalos, 26, of Eagan, Minn., were arrested Saturday on charges of prostitution and solicitation of a prostitute at the juice bar, which features nude dancing.

Pieper allegedly paid Giakalos and then performed an oral sex act on her in front of two uniformed officers and other juice bar patrons.

Reid said although an arrest for prostitution at the juice bar has not occurred before, the event was “not inconsistent with other reports we have received.”

“It is unusual to see such an event occur before two uniformed police officers, plus an exchange of cash, which is necessary for an arrest,” Reid said. “Usually when police officers come in the building, the dancers step back and quit whatever they are doing.”

Reid said Big Earl’s, 520 S. Duff Ave., has always been a part of their foot patrol because a city ordinance prevents anyone under the age of 18 from entering the facility and because undesirable activities often occur there.

Melvin Bryson, owner of Big Earl’s, said in the 1 1/2 years that Big Earl’s has been in Ames he’s never had a prostitution problem.

“The problem is I hire a lot of people off the street, and I can’t keep track of everything these people do,” Bryson said. “But customers don’t come to the bar or the door and say how much does it cost to have sex with this dancer. I know that doesn’t happen.”

Reid said police have arrested minors in possession of alcohol and made drug arrests in the Big Earl’s parking lot. He said police have received calls about patrons and dancers fighting over fees paid for sex acts and complaints from patrons of theft and of prostitution.

Pieper, a sophomore in fisheries and wildlife management from Fort Madison, said he was not aware that the two police officers were present during the alleged incident. He said he did not personally know Giakalos.

Pieper said he had been advised not to comment about the event, although he said, “I’d like to just sit down and tell my side of the story. My social standing has already been hurt enough by this situation.”

The charges of prostitution and solicitation of a prostitute are aggravated misdemeanors, punishable by up to two years in jail and a $2,500 fine.

Big Earl’s faces no criminal charges as a result of the incident. Reid said under the limitations of the law, police must prove knowledge of a specific situation by the bar owner, and in this case, authorities said they were unable to establish that Big Earl’s owners were aware that prostitution was taking place.

Bryson said Giakalos was not a regular employee. He said she had been recently fired, and was only working that night because the manager on duty did not realize she had been fired. Bryson also said Pieper was not a regular customer.

“I’ve never seen him before,” Bryson said. “My regular customers never do anything like that.”

Bryson said police made prostitution a problem at his bar. He said police want to shut Big Earl’s down, because they would rather see a new juice bar in Campustown.

“This girl came into the bar 30 minutes before the police came in and busted her for prostitution,” Bryson said. He said he thought it was strange that Pieper knew to pay Giakalos and that he performed the act before two uniformed police officers.

Bryson also said the act wasn’t prostitution because he does not believe Giakalos was paid for the act. He said she was only paid $1 by Pieper.

Bryson said he likes the community, and he has never done anything deliberately to hurt the people of Ames.

“I think it’s sad that [the police] would do this to me.”