Southwest
Drag queen accused of sex with 13-year-old boy he believed was adult: report
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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. (Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)
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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.
Browder’s attorney told Fox News Digital that she would not be commenting on the case.
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)
“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.”
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Jurors deliberating the fate of the man accused of starting the Palisades Fire, one of the most destructive wildfires in California’s history, failed to reach a verdict Thursday afternoon, telling the judge they were deadlocked.
A spokesperson from the United States Attorney’s Office told KTLA that jurors will continue to deliberate until they reach a verdict or give up.
Jonathan Rinderknecht, 30, a former Uber driver and one-time Pacific Palisades resident, is accused of starting the Lachman Fire on New Year’s Eve. The fire continued to smolder underground for about a week, even after Los Angeles firefighters believed it had been extinguished.
Flames reignited on Jan. 7, erupting into the deadly Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes in the upscale community, authorities said.
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A courtroom sketch of Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, during his initial court appearance on Oct. 23, 2025. (Bill Robles) -
The U.S. Dept. of Justice booking photo of Jonathan Rinderknecht over the Palisades Fire devastation in Malibu, California in January 2025 (AP).
Prosecutors argued that Rinderknecht deliberately set the fire, claiming he had grown increasingly resentful of wealthy residents and viewed Pacific Palisades as a symbol of that frustration.
“Their case, though circumstantial, is strong,” KTLA legal analyst Alison Triessl said. “The defense is relying on, can they (prosecutors) show beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Rinderknecht actually started this fire and it wasn’t the result of fireworks or some intervening cause.”
The defense argued there is no direct physical evidence tying Rinderknecht to the fire and said the prosecution’s case relies entirely on circumstantial evidence. Rinderknecht did not testify during the trial.
Defense attorney Steve Haney spoke outside the courthouse Wednesday about why he believes it will be difficult for prosecutors to prove how the fire started.
“The lack of scene preservation. The fact that they got there after a lot of the evidence was missing. Not a lot of direct evidence. This is a circumstantial case, which is always difficult as a prosecutor to prove,” Haney said.
Rinderknecht, who was arrested and indicted last October, faces up to 45 years in prison if found guilty of three arson counts, including destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report
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