By Thomas Stevenson – The Postmillennial
An Arizona drag queen has been charged with the statutory rape of a 13-year-old boy and has subsequently been pulled from the Phoenix Pride Festival, according to authorities. The suspect has been charged with two counts of sexual misconduct with the boy.
Michael Browder, 35, who performs drag under the stage name of Aubrey Ghalichi, is one of two men who met the teen using an online dating app and met the 13-year-old for anonymous sex, according to court documents obtained by ABC 15. Records from police said that the 13-year-old posed as an 18-year-old on the online dating app and arranged to meet up with the two men at different times.
However, with messages from the laptop of the 13-year-old, the police were able to trace encounter back to Browder. When the drag queen spoke to authorities, he confessed to having sex with the teen, but said that when he entered the apartment it was so dark that he was not able to determine the teen’s age. He told the police he believed the 13-year-old to be 18 or 19.
Phoenix Pride later announced that Browder would not be performing as “Aubrey Ghalichi” in the upcoming event.
“It is important to emphasize that this individual has not been convicted of a crime. Their removal is based solely on the information currently available to us and our responsibility to ensure a safe and affirming environment for our community. The crime alleged is one that we find reprehensible and entirely contrary to what Phoenix Pride stands for,” Phoenix Pride said in a statement after announcing that he would be in the event.
Browder was held on a bond of $10,000 and if released he must wear an ankle monitor, stay clear of minors, and cannot possess weapons and is forbidden from using alcohol and drugs.