Comic accused of lesbian sex acts with her own foster kids

Stand-up comic Paula Poundstone is facing serious jailtime after being arrested on child-abuse charges in connection with the foster children she had been caring for.

The 41-year-old funnywoman, a fixture on the comedy-club and TV game-show circuits, was arrested in Malibu by Santa Monica police Wednesday afternoon on three felony counts of committing a lewd act upon a young girl, according to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office.

She was additionally charged with endangering two other girls and two boys.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of 13 years in state prison, authorities say. Poundstone was held for four hours at Santa Monica jail Wednesday night before getting released on $200,000 bail. She's due in court for arraignment on July 27.

According to prosecutors, Poundstone allegedly committed the lewd acts on three separate occasions: May 19, June 5 and June 6. The child-endangerment incident also allegedly occurred on June 6. Police said the arrest was made following a lengthy investigation.

Because of their ages, none of the children were identified.

A frazzled Poundstone spoke briefly to reporters as she exited the jail, denying the accusations.

Poundstone has had several foster children over the years. At last count, Poundstone, a single mom, had three adopted children and two foster kids in her charge, ranging in age from 12 to two months. "I have a collecting jones...I'm not sure I could stop, unless I were stopped," she told the Seattle Times earlier this year. "But you know what, it's a tremendous amount of physical labor, but it seems to be pretty enjoyable, nonetheless." The kids had become a part of her routine, and she frequently made cracks about motherhood. "I have five children," the comic said during a March gig, according to a review in Springfield, Illinois' State Journal-Register. "To be honest with you, I'm beginning to feel a little bad for Joan Crawford. I have a feeling she said, 'No metal hangers,' several times nicely first."

Poundstone has said she became interested in foster care after working at a home for abused families.

She has stockpiled two Cable ACE awards for her HBO comedy specials and an American Comedy Award in 1989 as the nation's best female standup comic.

Poundstone parlayed her stand-up fame into a disastrously short-lived ABC sitcom in 1993, the same year she began taking in foster kids. She is currently a regular on the syndicated versions of To Tell the Truth and Hollywood Squares. She also does voices on Disney's Hercules TV show and Science Court.