JUNE 2021 Blues Vol 37 No. 6.5

Former Deputies File

Former Deputies File Federal Lawsuit HCCO Asst. Chief Sets Up Massage Parlor Sting, Gets Deputy Raped HOUSTON ‐ Harris County Constable Assistant Chief Chris Gore, Harris County Constable Alan Rosen, and Lt. Shane Rigdon are the target of a Federal lawsuit and are accused of sexual harassment and battery, violation of equal protection and retaliation against former deputies of the department. The suit alleges the Chief placed a female deputy undercover into massage parlor to be raped by known sex offender and forced others to wear provocative clothes as he lay on top of them fully aroused in sting operations. The former deputies, Liz Gomez, Marissa Sanchez, Felecia McKinney and Jacqueline Aluotto, an anti sex trafficking activist, filed the federal lawsuit together against the three officers as well as Harris County. The 40-page lawsuit alleges Rosen’s office set up undercover sex trafficking sting operations, which served as pretext for alcohol-fueled parties. The female deputies were allegedly ordered to dress in skimpy outfits and were fondled and licked by Gore. McKinney was allegedly sent to a massage parlor to be raped by a known sex offender before she could signal her colleagues to arrest him. Gomez and Sanchez claimed Gore groped them and laid on top of them while he was aroused during the stings. Perhaps some of the most shocking allegations detailed in the complaint are related to McKinney, a young deputy with no undercover training who is described in the lawsuit as “the sacrificial lamb.” According to the court filing that was printed in the Houston Chronicle, in August of 2019, McKinney was sent during an undercover vice squad-style operation to a massage parlor where she was raped by a known sexual offender, who had previously sexually assaulted Constable Rosen’s own chief of staff, before she could give a signal to her colleagues to move in and arrest the suspect. McKinney was ordered to make an appointment at the establishment with the known sexual offender, the complaint reads. “At said appointment she was, unsurprisingly, penetrated in both her vagina and anus by the same individual who had only days before assaulted the chief of staff. “McKinney was forced to allow this to happen as she was ordered to do by her superiors,” the lawsuit alleges, noting that the constable offices allowed the deputy to be led to the alleged rapist “like a lamb to the slaughter, even though there was already sufficient evidence to make an arrest prior to exposing McKinney to this trauma.” After the raid, McKinney was “all but ignored” by her superiors and had to drive herself to a sexual assault exam. The complaint alleges that Rosen’s office set up undercover “bachelor party” sting operations that were designed to arrest sex trafficking suspects. But those operations turned more into parties where officers drank heavily and the female deputies, who were given little to no training in undercover work, were fondled and kissed by their supervisory officer, or were told to give lap dances to other male deputies. Young female deputies [who] were handpicked for “undercover operations” under the guise of legitimate police work were molested and traumatized by their intoxicated male commanding officers for their own sexual gratification, the lawsuit alleges. “What began as an idea for “bachelor party” prostitution stings soon grew into a booze-fueled playground for sexual exploitation in which young, untrained deputies were subject to disgusting abuse.” The lawsuit accuses the defendants of sexual harassment, sexual battery, violation of equal protection and retaliation. Cord Akers, one of the attorneys for the women, called the allegations “Some of the most unspeakable sexual police misconduct that any of us have ever seen.” According to the court documents, Liz Gomez, the lead plaintiff in the federal lawsuit, was hand-picked by Gore for undercover operations, despite her lack of training. The deputy claims that she was “Continuously subjected to sexual harassment, unwarranted touching, unwanted kissing, molestation, and sexual ridicule.” The complaint alleges that Gore instructed Gomez to purchase skimpy outfits to be worn during the ‘bachelor party’ stings, and send photos of the clothing to him while shopping. Gore would relay the message “That’s not slutty enough” while Gomez was trying on the clothing at the store, and was ordered to purchase something more provocative, the lawsuit alleges. Gore also allegedly took Gomez to an adult store with him to purchase sex toys as props with county funds. ‘After picking up a product labeled “c*** sleeve,” Chief Gore commented to the young female deputy “Oh I bet you would like this,” the complaint states. He also instructed Gomez to purchase dildos and to “pick out the ones you would personally prefer.” After that shopping trip, Gore allegedly told Gomez that she was not allowed to work with any 14 The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE The BLUES POLICE MAGAZINE 15 *NEXT PAGE