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A prominent Arizona drag queen has been arrested and charged with having sex with a 13-year-old boy whom he met via a dating application, according to a report.
Michael Browder, 35, a drag performer known as Aubrey Ghalichi who has appeared at Phoenix Pride Festival, allegedly admitted having sex with the teen and told investigators he said he thought the boy was 18 or 19, according to court documents cited by ABC15.
The 13-year-old told investigators he posed as an 18-year-old on an online dating application and arranged for two adult men to meet him for sex at different times, according to court documents.
Michael Browder, aka, Aubrey Ghalichi, appears at the 40th annual Phoenix Pride Festival in Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 6, 2021. Browder has been charged with having sex with a 13-year-old boy whom he met via a dating application, according to a report. (Monica D. Spencer/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK)
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The boy told police he didn’t know the identities of the two men he met online, but investigators recovered one of the chats from his laptop and identified Browder as “a known Phoenix drag queen,” according to court records.
Browder was interviewed by Phoenix police on Sept. 16 when he allegedly admitted to meeting and having sex with the victim, telling police that he was under the impression the victim was 18 or 19 years old.
Browder said it was dark in the victim’s apartment “to the point that he was unable to ascertain the victim’s age,” per court records.
Michael Browder, a Phoenix drag performer who goes by Aubrey Ghalichi, was arrested in September and charged with two counts of sexual conduct with a minor, according to court records.
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He has been charged with two counts of sexual conduct with a minor and was released on a $10,000 bond under conditions requiring GPS monitoring and prohibiting contact with children.
Fox News Digital has reached out to Browder’s attorney for comment.
Police have not identified or charged the second man the boy mentioned.
Phoenix Pride has removed Browder from its upcoming festival lineup later this month.
Organizers said the alleged crime is “reprehensible and entirely contrary to what Phoenix Pride stands for.”
Phoenix Pride Festival in Phoenix on Oct. 22, 2023. (Nicole Mullen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK)
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“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 event’s organizers said via a statement.
“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.”