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Mom Hires Strippers for Son's 16th Birthday, Gets Arrested

By Andrew Lu on February 19, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

A mom who hired strippers for her son's 16th birthday party could be stripped of her freedom if she's convicted on child endangerment charges.

Police say Judy Viger, 33, of Gansevoort, New York, allegedly hired two female strippers to help celebrate her son's big day. The party was held at a bowling alley, and the strippers performed lewd dances for partygoers as young as 14, reports The Times Union of Albany.

While this has to be one of the more creative ways to celebrate a teen's birthday, Viger will not be winning any "Mom of the Year" awards any time soon. In fact, she faces five criminal counts of endangering the welfare of a child.

Apparently showing some sense, the strippers reportedly only stripped down to their thong underwear and bras. The women then gave lap dances to some of the teens, writes the Times Union. In one photo, a stripper can be seen upside-down with a teen's head between her knees and her head between his legs.

Police were alerted to the incident when parents of other children who attended the party complained, and photos started to appear online.

Though she may have wanted to be a "cool mom," Judy Viger now faces very serious misdemeanor charges of endangering the welfare of a child. The mother is accused of knowingly acting in a manner "likely to be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child less than 17 years old," reports the Times Union. She could face one year in prison if convicted.

At this point, you may be wondering what "injuries" a 16-year-old boy could possibly suffer from having a stripper grind on him.

The law, however, does not require that a minor actually suffer physical injury. Instead, it is considered a crime so long as the conduct is likely to result in damaging the physical, mental, or moral welfare of a child.

Viger may try to argue she was within her rights to expose her own son to the strippers and their allegedly toned-down performance. However, she probably did not have such a right with regard to her son's underage friends.

The stripper party happened in November, but Viger wasn't arrested until Monday, the Glen Falls Post-Star reports. Viger could have faced even more charges, but police decided that five counts was enough, the county prosecutor said.

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