The latest chapter? Five people, including alleged ringleader Socrates "Chrome" Packer, have now pleaded guilty to crimes that include human trafficking and pimping a child. Continue for the teen's survival story, as well as the report and mug shots of those prosecuted for their part in stealing a chunk of her childhood.
The police report we obtained is listed in the name of Desiree "Dez" Gallimore, but it's identical to the documents on file for the others in the case: Socrates Packer, his brother Cyril "Jazz" Packer, Mack McCray, Earl Williams and Hector Garcia. Of this sextet, only Garcia has yet to plead guilty. He's asserted his innocence to charges of child prostitution, sexual assault on a child and patronizing a child prostitute and is scheduled to appear at a hearing later this month.
The report's narrative begins during the late afternoon of July 31, 2012, when an officer spotted a young African-American girl in a short, one-piece dress with a low-cut top -- garb commonly associated with prostitution -- near the intersection of Colfax and Willow.The then-thirteen-year-old was subsequently taken into custody, after which it was quickly determined that she was less a perpetrator of crime than a victim.
During multiple interviews with personnel from the Rocky Mountain Innocence Lost Task Force, the teen revealed what had happened to her over the course of the several months preceding her bust. She told investigators that she'd run away from home on March 30 of that year, after staying late playing football with friends at a neighborhood park and fearing she'd get into trouble at home.
Over the weeks that followed, the teen was homeless, sleeping at locations such as the Aurora Public Library, the triangle park at Broadway and Park Avenue West and public buses. But things changed in June, when she was panhandling near a McDonald's at 3550 Colorado Boulevard.
After earning enough money to buy a drink, the teen went into the restaurant, where she was approached by a guy named Earl, later identified as Earl Williams. He was so freshly out of jail that he was still wearing an ankle monitor, the report points out -- but he managed to convince her to accompany him in a "broken-down looking blue car" also occupied by Socrates Packer, ID'd to her as Chrome.From there, the group went to the home of Earl's mom, where Earl started talking about "escorting" and "the game" -- terms he made sound so benign that the teen interpreted them more as dates with men than prostitution. But she got a clue about the actual job requirements later at the residence of Chrome's mom, where he instructed her to provide him with oral sex -- which she did.
The next day, the teen was introduced to Chrome's brother, Jazz, and his girlfriend, Dez, who gave her a primer on prostitution. She admitted to investigators that she initially claimed to be eighteen before revising her age downward to sixteen -- at which point Jazz and Dez told her that if she was ever stopped by the cops, she should give them a false name and date of birth.
Then came ads posted online, along with bogus photos, at addresses such as backpage.com. (The site was previously associated with Westword via the paper's former parent company, but all connections between this publication and backpage.com have been severed.) Prices were set at $80 for half an hour, $100 for an hour and $60 for a "quickie." The teen, referred to in the ads as either "Bunny" or "Autumn," was promptly put to work, earning several hundred dollars that she handed over to Jazz.
Continue for more about the child prostitution busts, including mug shots and the complete police report. The affidavit recaps similar activities over the intervening weeks, including a trip to Colorado Springs to service some of Dez's "regular clients." Along the way, one man only gave the teen $80 when he owed $100, prompting Jazz to accuse her of hiding money from him. After he called her a "dumb bitch" and ordered her to "pick up her game," she became scared enough to try and split.
Jazz allegedly responded by pushing her and hitting her -- and not for the last time. She told investigators that he choked her to the point of unconsciousness during one visit to the Motel 9 on East Colfax. In addition, she said Jazz and Dez, described as regular meth users, would withhold food from her if they didn't think she was bringing in enough cash.From there, the affidavit recaps how investigators found Chrome, Jazz, Dez and the rest, all of whom were identified by the teen.
In the end, Jazz pleaded guilty to pimping of a child; he faces up to fifteen years in stir at his sentencing a few weeks from now. For her part, Dez entered guilty pleas on the lesser counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and prostitution; she, too, will be sentenced soon.
Mack McCray already knows his punishment (two years of probation for contributing to the delinquency of a minor), and so does Earl Williams: He received a suspended six-year prison sentence, along with four years of probation, for his own contributing-to-the-delinquency-of-a-minor conviction.
Chrome, though, is the big fish. He's now pleaded guilty to human trafficking and attempted sexual assault on a child. In June, he could get up to eighteen years behind bars.
Look below to see photos of all the suspects, followed by the arrest report.
Continue for more about the child prostitution busts, including more mug shots and the complete police report.Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.
More from our Colorado Crimes archive circa August 2013: "William Head busted for prostitution with knowledge of AIDS."
