Los Gatos Nudist Camp Owners Charged With Stealing Water From Nearby Waterfall

The owners of a Bay Area nudist resort have been charged with stealing water during the state's historic drought.

Seventy-seven-year old Glyn Stout and his wife 53-year-old Lori Kay Stout, co-owners of Lupin Lodge, were charged Friday with felony conspiracy to commit trespassing for the purpose of injuring a property right. Officials say they repeatedly diverted water from a section of a local creek that they did not own, according to a statement from the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office.

Two employees are also facing charges. If convicted, all four could face up to three years in county jail.

The resort's owners have said they are entitled to use the waterfall, which they need to keep their water tank full in case of a fire and to top off their pool for both skinny-dipping and as a backup water source for a fire. They were not immediately available for comment Friday.

Wildlife cameras owned by the MidPeninsula Regional Open Space District shows an old fire trail was cleared, resulting in environmental damage, and water lines were installed at the creek and other springs that all ran to the lodge, according to Deputy District Attorney Denise Raabe. The cameras also took photos of the people trespassing the property and carrying plastic tubing, she said.

All four defendants are facing misdemeanors of trespassing, substantially diverting water, operating and/or leaving a motorized vehicle on MROSD property, trespassing by driving a vehicle on a closed property and performing maintenance or clearance on MROSD property, Raabe said.

Lupin Lodge is a 110-acre clothing-optional resort in the Santa Cruz Mountains that was founded in 1936, according to the business's website.