Overview

• Investigators say messages recovered from the 13-year-old’s laptop led them to 35-year-old Michael Browder, whom an officer recognized as a Phoenix drag performer.
• In a Sept. 16 interview, Browder allegedly admitted to sex with the teen and said he believed the person was 18 or 19 because the apartment was dark.
• Browder faces two counts of sexual conduct with a minor, and a judge set a $10,000 secured appearance bond with GPS monitoring and a ban on contact with children.
• Phoenix Pride removed Browder’s stage persona, Aubrey Ghalichi, from the Oct. 18–19 festival and emphasized that he has not been convicted.
• Police say the teen reported arranging separate encounters with two men through an adult app, and the second individual has not been publicly identified or charged.