A man who performed as a drag queen was pulled from a Pride parade after he allegedly confessed to having sex with a 13-year-old child he met on a dating app.
Aubrey Ghalichi, whose real name is Michael Browder, was arrested in September and charged with two counts of sexual conduct with a minor according to court records reviewed by KNXV-TV.
‘The crime alleged is one that we find reprehensible and entirely contrary to what Phoenix Pride stands for.’
The 13-year-old told Phoenix police that he pretended to be 18 years old and sought out two men to have sex with on two different occasions, according to the documents.
He did not know the identities of the men, but police were able to recover one conversation from his laptop. That conversation led to Browder, who was described by police as a “known Phoenix drag queen.”
In a Sept. 16 interview, Browder allegedly admitted to police that he had sex with the boy, but he claimed to have believed he was of legal age. He added that it was so dark in his apartment that it was difficult to ascertain the boy’s age.
He was given a $10,000 bond and would have to satisfy certain conditions if released.
The organizers of the Phoenix Pride Parade announced later that Browder was no longer to appear at the event.
“Out of respect for our community and in alignment with our values, Phoenix Pride has removed Aubrey Ghalichi from this year’s event lineup,” the statement reads. “We are working diligently to update all promotional materials to reflect this change. Some items have already been updated while others distributed by outside advertisers have already gone to print and may still display their name, but please know that they will not be appearing at the Phoenix Pride Festival.”
The statement went on to deny “misinformation” that was circulating online.
“It is important to emphasize that this individual has not been convicted of a crime,” they added. “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.”
The Phoenix Pride Festival is scheduled for October 18 and 19.
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