A millionaire accused of making child pornography with two teenage girls has said that he thought the alleged victims were of-age women who worked at a strip club. Burton Gersh, 69, from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, is accused of producing hundreds of sexually explicit photos of two girls, aged 16 and 17, in his lavish mansion beginning in 2010. He asked a federal judge to allow a 'mistake-of-age defense' in his pending trial in which he faces pornography charges. Burton Gersh (pictured above) is accused of producing hundreds of sexually explicit photos of two girls, aged 16 and 17, in his lavish mansion beginning in the fall of 2010 with accomplice Les Sidweber . The former seafood wholesaler also requested in a motion filed in federal court that jurors know the girls engaged in prostitution, according to USA Today. A federal prosecutor is reportedly fighting both requests. 'The alleged victims appeared to be over the age of 18 and both were strippers in a club in Philadelphia, presumably fooling a legitimate business about their age,' the motion from Gersh's attorney, Michael Engle, said. The motion adds that Gersh 'may not have reasonably been able to ascertain the alleged victims' ages because of their misrepresentations, physical appearance and stated occupation'. 'At least one' of the girls was given a release form to sign before the photo school, the motion said. Signing the motion would indicate 'that she was 18 years of age or older'. Gersh and his accomplice, photographer Les Sidweber, 73, were arrested and have been in federal custody since November 3. Their trial is set for May 19. One of the girls was allegedly approached while walking out of her school in her school uniform and encouraged to go to one of the defendant's houses for a modeling shoot. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Lappen told CBS Philadelphia in November. One of the victims said that she was approached while walking out of school in her school uniform and encouraged to go to one of the defendant's houses for a modeling shoot. Illicit pictures show characteristics of Gersh's home, pictured above, investigators said . The criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court claims that Gersh and Sidweber paid for the two Pennsylvania girls to come to their homes, strip naked and perform sex acts on one another and on Gersh. 'Once these men earned the trust of these victims, they exploited them on multiple occasions,' Lappen said. The illicit pictures show identifiable characteristics of Gersh's home, including one with a backyard gazebo that featured a sign 'Welcome to the Gershs', investigators told CBS Philadelphia. The defense claims that knowledge of the ages of the girls is crucial if Gersh is found guilty of 'purposefully' producing the child porgography. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Morgan, however, said the mistake-of-age defense should not be taken into account. 'Knowledge that the victim was under the age of 18 is not an element of the crime,' Morgan said in a motion. She also said that allowing testimony on the victims' sexual experiences would be irrelevant and 'can only be used to cast aspersions on the character of the victims'. Gersh and Sidweber face 15 years in prison if convicted.
Burton Gersh, 69, and accomplice, photographer Les Sidweber, 73, were arrested in November on pornography charges dating back to fall 2010 . Gersh allegedly produced sexually explicit photos of girls, aged 16 and 17 . He asked a federal judge to allow 'mistake-of-age' defense in trial . He also requested that jurors know the girls engaged in prostitution . One of the victims claimed in November she was approached by one of the defendants while walking out of her school in school uniform .