A Richmond strip-club owner was arrested and charged today with producing child pornography and unlawfully filming sex with a minor.

Samuel J.T. Moore III, 44, appeared in Richmond Circuit Court on the felony charges, as well as misdemeanor charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old girl in his residence above Club Velvet in Shockoe Bottom.

Judge Beverly W. Snukals set a $10,000 bond for Moore and ordered him to undergo drug testing. The judge will meet with attorneys later this week to set dates for motions in the case, including a defense challenge of the search warrant that police used to search Moore's home and club in late February.

Moore's attorney, Michael Morchower, questioned prosecutors' unusual method for bringing the case directly to Circuit Court, using an information filing to bypass the grand jury and multijurisdictional grand jury processes for criminal indictments.

"It's the first time I've seen this," Morchower said.

Prosecutors were not available for comment.

Morchower already has challenged the authority of the multijurisdictional grand jury to consider charges of child pornography and unlawful filming. The grand jury postponed hearing the charges last week because of his motion to prohibit it from considering evidence or issuing indictments in the case.

The defense attorney also is seeking a transcript of consideration of evidence by the multijurisdictional grand jury prior to the issuance of a search warrant on Feb. 22 for a raid early the next day by police, state, and federal agents investigating possible prostitution, public nudity and illegal drug use at the club.

During that search, police first arrested Moore for having sex with a minor three days earlier. They also seized videotapes that Morchower is seeking to suppress as evidence against Moore.

Prosecutors decided to drop the charges in Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and pursue them, along with additional felony charges for filming the incident, in Circuit Court.