Oscar Merlo Jr., Former East Side Nightclub Owner, Arrested on Child Exploitation and Sexual Assault Charges

The former owner of a shuttered East Side nightclub has been arrested on multiple charges, according to warrants obtained by KSAT.

Oscar Merlo Jr., 41, was taken into custody Thursday and booked into the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on charges of child exploitation and sexual assault of a child. His bond was set at $200,000, jail records show.

Court documents allege that Merlo knowingly hired a 14-year-old girl to work at his adults-only establishment, Chateau Chanel Night Club, located in the 3700 block of East Commerce Street.

Oscar Merlo Jr., Former East Side Nightclub Owner, Arrested on Child Exploitation and Sexual Assault Charges

The girl, identified in affidavits as the victim, told police she had been in a “sexually based relationship” with Merlo. She also stated that he provided her with a fake ID that listed her as 19, allowing her to work at the club despite being underage.

Investigators said the victim was paid between $300 and $400 a night to serve bottles and provide “entertainment” in the club’s VIP section.