Trending
A third person, Victor Eugene Booth II, has been charged by city police in a case in which three people allegedly engaged in "grooming" two female minors for sexual favors, drugs or cash, according to city police and court records made public this week at the office of District Judge Aaron Biichle.
Booth, 40, formerly of the 600 block of First Ave., faces eight counts of trafficking in individuals, four counts of prostitution and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. He was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $125,000, joining Jennifer Gibbs, 36, of Williamsport, who was arrested last week on the same set of felony charges and jailed in lieu of the same amount.
Also implicated in the case was Allen Arthur Frazier, 39, of Williamsport, an inmate at the state Correctional Institution at Smithfield, Huntingdon, who is expected to be arraigned next week on charges connected with the case. He was recently incarcerated on a parole violation, police said.
The girls were told that "Frazier just wants to kiss you," and that "everyone in the house would be paid," according to a two-page affidavit. The price was $20, investigators were told. Court documents allege that Booth and Gibbs "attempted to encourage and induce the two minors to engage in sexual servitude on an agreed upon price with Frazier." Investigators also allege that Booth, now living in the Jersey Shore area, "did receive crack cocaine or cash in return for the solicitation of the minors to Frazier."
When the juveniles were "presented to Frazier (in a city home), both declined (his alleged) efforts to solicit them," police said.
In an interview with investigators, Frazier admitted to providing crack cocaine to Gibbs and Booth, but he denied soliciting the girls even though he knew Gibbs was allegedly "attempting to traffic them," the affidavit stated. The alleged solicitation occurred in the first week of August, police said.
On one occasion, while the girls were alone in the house with Frazier, he admitted to "watching pornography," court documents stated. So frightened by the ordeal, both girls "ran from the residence," police were told.
Anyone with any additional information concerning this investigation is asked to contact Agent Benjamin Hitesman at 570-327-7595 or at his email bhitesman@cityofwilliamsport.org.