Dirty D, whose real name is Michael Storm, operates Web Wizard Inc., talent company TampaNudeModels.com and HowIGotRich.com, which is an affiliate program with 17 adult sites.
The 10-year-old HowIGotRich.com bills itself as the "home of the $1 million bonus program."
The arrested individuals each were charged with exposure and lewd and lascivious behavior, both misdemeanors.
Dirty D, in an exclusive interview with XBIZ, said that he was there checking out the theater for a number of websites.
"The sites that I'm known for are do involve a bit of public nudity and public sexual things, like TheaterSluts and GloryholeGirls and PartyWildNaked. My sites are all well-seasoned sites that have been around for years.
"Its a dark theater and they arrested everyone touching themselves — at least three people," he said. "I mean, what do people do in a dark porn theater — come on"
Dirty D went on to say that police overdramatized the situation.
"Creating drama out of this is amusing to me because I'm not Peewee Herman," he said. "I don't have a kids show. I'm a pervert pornographer and I've billed myself that for more than 10 years now.
"If anybody's surprised that Dirty D masturbates, they need to check themselves."
Arrest reports state the three people were sitting on a front-row couch of the theater watching an adult movie and masturbating at about 1 a.m. Sunday.
Dirty D, 43, was arrested along with Robert Bass, 49, and Shirley Fetty, 70. Storm and Bass were released from the Orient Road Jail after posting $750 bonds each.
Tampa police have cracked down in recent years on lewd and lascivious behavior inside adult businesses in Drew Park, a mostly industrial neighborhood east of Tampa International Airport.
The Playhouse Adult Theater is a former venue of a now-gone Air Force base.
In January, police reported 163 arrests in a six-month undercover operation in Drew Park. There were 22 arrests at Playhouse Adult Theater and 21 arrests at another venue called Fantasy Land.
