HOUSTON – Harris County is suing a downtown nightclub that was raided last Friday night. County leaders held a news conference Tuesday to announce the suit, and they say they want to force the owners of the nightclub Kryptonite to obey the law.
The first step is getting a judge to sign off on a temporary restraining order to stop the club from marketing to minors, and "prevent owners here from pressuring those minors into underage drinking, drug use and sexual activity."
On Friday night, the culmination of a five-month undercover investigation at Kryptonite yielded cocaine, marijuana, acid and the drug Molly just to name a few, as well as the discovery of a "rape cave," where investigators said girls were taken and assaulted after they were slipped drugs in their drinks.
"I remember asking the manager of the club as I walked out, I said, 'Would you let your daughter come here?' And he said, 'Absolutely not,'" said Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen.
The county said they've received more than 100 calls for service at Kryptonite in just the last year.
"They vary from welfare checks to homicide investigations. There have been two cases involving sexual offenses, nine cases involving assault and aggravated assault including a death investigation, and 21 cases involving narcotics," said Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan.
The promoter paid by Kryptonite is called Underworld. The company has been in the spotlight in recent years. In 2012, a 15-year-old girl died of an accidental overdose outside of a rave Underworld threw at the Funplex in southwest Houston.
Rosen is asking for victims to come forward.
"Anybody who may have been assaulted at this club or anybody who may have had a problem and has not reported the crime yet.. we're asking you to contact our office immediately so we can help you," he said.
The number to call is 713-755-7628.
If the judge signs that order and then later finds the owners here are not doing enough to prevent drug activity and assaults at this club, he can shut the place down for up to a year.
Local 2 did reach out to both Underworld and Kryptonite, but neither returned our messages.