A Houston man and a New York woman are facing felony charges after authorities say they were recorded having sex in public during a 30-minute ride in a glass-enclosed cabin on a Ferris wheel 550 feet above the Las Vegas Strip. A Las Vegas judge on Tuesday set a March 9 date to see if the charges against Philip Frank Panzica III and Chloe Scordianos can be resolved without trial. The two were arrested Feb. 5—which was Scordianos' 21st birthday—after riding alone together in one cabin on the High Roller. Police say surveillance cameras captured the act, security warned the couple to stop, and people in another car shot cellphone video.
Scordianos' lawyer says his client believed the couple had an expectation of privacy. According to a criminal complaint seen by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, security officers ordered the pair to put out their cigarettes and put their clothes back on after they noticed what was going on in Cabin 16, but it didn't stop for long. "The guests in Cabin 17 didn't seem to notice, but the guests in Cabin 15 not only noticed but were video recording the acts," according to the complaint, which states that the couple told police "they were just having a good time and didn't think anyone would notice." The complaint notes that there have been previous complaints of public indecency on the ride, which is billed as the "Happiest Half Hour in Vegas." (More Las Vegas stories.)
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