"was she raped? does sexual assault include like, over shirt boob fondling?"

"She was asking for it. Already was having sex with multiple men in the middle east a few years back.

There's not much more to say than "wow." Late Night Shots has always known how to keep things classy.

File photo of a Late Night Shots social gathering by Darrow Montgomery

Guandique originally faced another count of first-degree felony murder for allegedly sexually assaulting Levy in the trial that started Oct. 25.  The kidnapping and attempted robbery charges were also dropped due to the statute of limitations on those allegations. Guandique, an illegal immigrant, was indicted for Levy's murder in May 2009 while he was serving time for other attacks in Rock Creek Park.

Jurors faced a lack of hard evidence to base their verdict. Prosecutors were unable to provide any DNA or eyewitnesses to link Guandique to the murder. The jury heard testimony from Armondo Morales, Guandique's former cellmate, who testified that he admitted to killing Levy.

Guandique will be sentenced on Feb. 11.

Andre Chreky, hairdresser to the stars (or at least the D.C. stars; Laura Bush was a client), has a big problem.

As a result of  a scandalous sexual harassment trial that ended in March, Chreky was told to pay $2.3 million to Ronnie Barrett, a former colorist at his upscale K Street NW salon. According to Barrett's suit, her former boss did salacious things like put his hand inside her dress to feel her breast. Despite all the bad publicity, Chreky has managed to hold on to his business. But the guy must be a glutton for punishment.

Instead of settling a second sexual harassment suit brought by another former employee, Jennifer Thong, he'll be going to trial Monday. At trial, not only will all Chreky's alleged shenanigans again be aired, but, according to Thong's lawyer, Jonathan Rose, they'll be worse. "The facts involved are far more egregious than the Baer trial," he says.

According to filings, some of the "egregious facts" are that Chreky "used his position as the owner and operator of one of the nation's premiere hair salons to attempt to coerce and intimidate attractive, vulnerable immigrant females like Mrs. Thong to perform sexual acts and to otherwise engage in unwelcome physical and sexual contact with him." Helping to paint Chreky as a mustache-twirling villain is the fact that Thong and her family had already been victimized: "Thong immigrated to the United States from Cambodia in 1988 with her family. Prior to coming to the United States, Mrs. Thong and her family experienced a prolonged ordeal of political persecution under the Khmer Rouge barely surviving 'the killing fields.'"

To start with, according to filings, Chreky—who worked right next to Thong—often got so close to her as they talked, their "hips touched." The married Chreky would, allegedly,  also take Thong's scissors and then, when the employee asked for them back, have her fish them from his pocket "taking obvious pleasure in the fact she had to put her hands in his pockets near his genitals."

But that was the mild stuff. Chreky's behavior allegedly later intensified, as he asked Thong for "blow jobs" and proposed a threesome. According to Thong's account, she rebuffed his advances. Chreky kept trying, the filings say. When he found her alone, "he would grab her on her shoulders or waist and press his groin up against her body." Chreky also groped her whenever he got a chance, going so far as to put his hand up Thong's dress and rip off her underwear as a "souvenir," according to documents. "Chreky later allegedly graduated to out and out and multiple sexual assaults.

Defense attorney Paul J. Kiernan says Chreky's team won't be commenting before trial. But Chreky's court papers dispute just about all of what Thong says. Filings on Chreky's behalf say that "Ms. Thong worked at the Chreky Salon from 1998 through 2006. She claims that Mr. Chreky made inappropriate sexual comments to her, inappropriately touched her, and physically assaulted her on various occasions beginning in 2000. These events never happened. No individuals corroborate Thong's claims and her own conduct flatly contradicts her accusations. In fact, Ms Thong was cordial to both Andre Chreky and Serena Chreky throughout her employment, even inviting them to her 'wedding ceremony' with a man named Hung Vuong."

The defense says that not only was Chreky invited to hang out at Thong's nuptials, the two went fishing together on several occasions.. Chreky's side also contends that most of the harassment Chreky was allegedly responsible for happened more than a year before Thong submitted a complaint. They also point out that Thong never went to the police about Chreky.

But Rose says his client will have a slew of witnesses backing up Thong's version. "It's not he said, she said," says Rose. "It's he said, everyone said."

Photo by James Bowe via Flickr under Creative Commons attribution license

You Just Lost Your Tip, Buddy:

Other uses for the iPad?: On June 12, District cops busted nine suspects for peddling sex over the Internet. In an email, cops revealed that authorities cooperated with "the management of various PSA 307 hotels" to bust the sex workers:  "Along with these arrest came the seizure of various electronic items that were utilized to enhance their trade..."

Bad Sign: On June 8, cops had to call in a sign language interpreter to sort things out after an argument between two deaf D.C. residents turned deadly. It happened at a residence in the 4300 block of Livingston Road SE. According to cops, after a heated exchange, "the suspect used a knife in the kitchen, and stabbed the victim to the left side of the stomach."

Sexual Assault in Rockville: Maryland police are looking for two suspects they believe responsible for a June 13 sexual assault. The assault took place at about 12:30 a.m. in the area of Aspen Hill Road and Veirs Mill Road in Rockville. According to cops, "The preliminary investigation revealed that the 26-year-old female victim was walking along Veirs Mill Road when she was accosted by two male subjects. The two males forced the victim into a wooded area along Veirs Mill Road and sexually assaulted her. After the assault, the victim was released and she called police."

I'm Your Private Dancer: An MPD first district listserv poster reports that on June 9 his wife encountered some disturbing morning nudity:

Yesterday morning (approx 0720) my wife was approached by a man on the 900 block of 10th Street NE. He was stumbling and seemed to have mental/SA issues. Black male, approx. 6'2", very skinny 110 lbs. He proceeded to take off his clothes and flash my wife and a few passing cars. He repeated this a number of times, and attempted to approach my wife as she walked back to our home."

The poster said he and his wife spotted the possibly deranged stripper again on K & 10th Street NE the next morning "wearing very little clothing." Cops have promised to be on lookout for the Chippendales wannabe.

Fatal Fall

Senior Jenn Choi said she was walking back to South Hall when she and her friends found a male sprawled out on the grass in Guthridge Park.' As we were walking along the way we saw this guy who was face up on the grass and we thought maybe he was just drunk and we kind of looked to see if he was ok,” Choi said. “But then we realized he was erratically breathing and that his wrist was swollen and he had cuts on his arm, and then we realized we had to call 911...'

Though he was whisked off to the hospital, Hubbard was gravely injured and didn't make it. A high school buddy of Hubbard's, Timothy Bartsch, tells City Desk in an email that he played soccer and lacrosse with the deceased: "He was a great kid. very smart, the type of kid that would do anything for you," says Bartsch.

And You Wonder Why She Only Dates Mature Guys: Montgomery County police report that a teenager sexually assaulted an older woman after she rebuffed his advances. The assault happened on May 1 in the 1200 block of First Street in Rockville at around 1:30 p.m.: "An adult female victim was walking from the Metro when the suspect approached.  He said he was sixteen years old and the victim told him she was twenty-one years old and he needed to move on. The suspect touched the woman inappropriately and fled towards Gude Drive."

To Catch a Bike Thief: Crackjack bike thieves may be on the loose on Capitol Hill. A member of the New Hill East email discussion group, Marika, writes on May 15 that, despite the fact that her condo has an attendant, a video camera, an automatic door,  four expensive bikes were stolen from the building's garage:

"Each bike had both a Kryptonite lock and a heavy chain lock. The thief knew exactly what he was looking for — he only took the valuable bikes — and came equipped with an industrial blow torch or a diamond saw, which according to the police is the only way to remove all those locks. So beware, there are professional thieves on the lookout for bikes on the Hill as well as the regular opportunists."

Now, that's Really Disorderly: A man tried to grab a police officer's gun on May 14, at around 2:15 a.m. in the 1200 block of Connecticut Avenue NW. Cops say the officer was attempting to interview the suspect in reference to a report of disorderly conduct: "That's when the suspect became combative and attempted to take the officer's issued service weapon." The officer subdued and arrested the perp.

Tune In, Turn Up, Cop Bout: At approximately 11:08 p.m. on May 14, cops Ebony Richardson and Cosandra Carr showed up at a house in the 3000 block of Brinkley Road in Temple Hills, Md., in response to a loud noise complaint.  They asked the occupants of the house to turn the music down, and they did. But before the officers got to their car, the volume went up again. When the officers returned to the house, the officers were allegedly assaulted. Backup soon arrived and eight people were arrested.

The account of the victim's ordeal is nothing short of tragic, and also leaves one to wonder if the system currently in place for dealing with domestic abuse didn't break down.

The victim sought help from authorities in May 2009, acquiring a Temporary Protection Order (TPO) that Escalante quickly violated, court papers show. And even after she decided to move into a domestic violence shelter, the victim wasn't safe. Instead, she was sexually assaulted right there on the premises.

Court documents provide a picture of the first time Escalante abused his then girlfriend, and it's graphic. Documents say the victim and Escalante had just moved in together in September 2008 when things began to go horribly wrong. During that month, the victim went off to Boston to check out a job prospect. When she returned, Escalante allegedly beat her up and accused her of going to Boston to prostitute herself.

After the beating, Escalante wanted sex. Dragging the victim into the bedroom by her hair, he demanded she take off her clothes. When the victim refused, Escalante allegedly tore off the apparel and forced her. "This is what women are useful for," Escalante stated, according to court papers.

Escalante's physical and sexual assaults would continue to intensify.

During a sexual assault at Rock Creek Park on the morning of Dec. 12, 2008, for instance, Escalante not only threatened the victim's life, but began shearing her hair off.

"Once arriving at the park, the defendant showed the complainant two knives and told the complainant that he was going to use one to kill her and one to kill himself. The defendant then proceeded to cut the complainant’s hair and stated that she better be quiet or it was not just her hair he was going to cut."

After multiple other instances of abuse, on May 7, 2009, a TPO was served on Escalante on behalf of the victim. Such an order is issued by a judge and requires an abuser stay away for a fourteen day period, giving the victim time to get a more permanent protection order. Escalante violated the TPO on May 19. Police were called but it's not clear whether Escalante was arrested. Christel Nichols of House of Ruth, an organization that often works with domestic violence victims in the District, says that in her experience, TPO's tend to be ineffective as far as protecting abuse victims goes. Cops, she says, have wide latitude when it comes to whether or not they're going to do anything about the violation, and sometimes do nothing at all.

Even after the victim moved into a domestic violence shelter, she wasn't safe. Documents say Escalante came to the place –located in the Northwest quadrant of the city– and walked right through the front door, which was open. According to documents,  finding the victim in her room, he bit her lip and sexually assaulted her while holding a pillow over her face.

The next day, the victim reported the abuse to a friend and police showed up at the shelter and arrested Escalante.

Nichols, whose organization has multiple domestic violence shelters around the city, but did not house Escalante's victim, says that among other security protocols at House of Ruth facilities, doors are kept locked and visitors have to get past shelter staff in order to enter.  "There's  no way someone could just walk in," she says. But though House of Ruth shelters tend to be vigilant about safety, the approach of other shelters to that issue vary. Nichols says the city imposes no standards regarding what a domestic violence shelter must do to keep its clients secure.

Judge Royce Lamberth just set a date–August 9–for the start of the trial, in which Jennifer Thong, a former employee of Chreky's, will accuse the beauty master of various sexual attacks.

As the Post reports, Thong's lawsuit alleges that during one 2005 incident in Chreky's office: "'Mr. Chreky got up and slammed the door, pushed her over and got on top of her. Plaintiff began to cry and yelled for him to let her go. He grabbed her skirt, tore it . . . Mr. Chreky unzipped his pants' and attempted to force intercourse."

Having brought a similar lawsuit against the style maven, former Chreky salon worker Ronnie Barrett was awarded $2.3 million in a harassment trial that ended on March 9. The day before Thong's trial was to commence, however, Chreky's lawyers filed bankruptcy papers for both him and his business. The move meant that Chreky and his business were given an automatic stay against would-be and actual collectors like Thong and Barrett.

A court document shows that to counter that shrewd move, Thong's lawyer, Jonathan G. Rose, filed two motions aimed at waylaying the bankruptcy. This month, Chreky's attorneys came to the negotiating table and hammered out a deal with Rose in which Chreky is allowed to proceed with the bankruptcy in exchange for giving up the automatic stay. Prior to Thong's lawsuit, Chreky claimed as much as $6 million in liquid assets.

But enough about rule-makers.  All the rule-breakers, in DC and beyond, are after the jump.

• As countless politicians have proven, adultery is not an excuse to give up your elected office.  John Ensign agrees, regardless of his parents' $96,000 payoff of his mistress – he plans to seek reelection when his term runs out in 2012.  Could he still be holding out for the White House?  Only time will tell.

• The judge hearing the Banita Jacks case was treated to an earful during the second day of listening to her eight-hour police interrogation.  During the recording, Jacks admitted that she believed her three daughters were possessed by demons but would rise from the dead when the demons left their bodies.  She also contends that all four of her daughters died in their sleep, as a result of the demons, a fact that is inconsistent with the evidence gathered at the crime scene.

• A House panel investigating the Red Line crash heard testimony yesterday, with the majority of witnesses asking for money to fix the flawed transit system.  John Catoe, Metro's General Manager detailed the precautions he has taken since the crash but admits he still does not know what to do about the malfunctioning circuit between Takoma and Fort Totten that presumably caused the collision.

• Violent crimes are being reported with more frequency, in what are thought to be safe areas of the city.  The Borderstan blog reports an armed assault and a robbery in the 1400 blocks of Corcoran and S Streets NW, respectively, in addition to the armed robbery and several burglaries that occurred in the first week of July.  Meanwhile, in Georgetown, a young woman was sexually assaulted in her home, less than two blocks from the main gates of the university.  Neighbors and students are concerned, not only for their safety, but because very few people have been informed about the attack.

So keep your eyes and ears open, City Desk readers.  Rules and laws are for following, not breaking.

If true (some conservative bloggers claim that the Frontiersman is a Palin-smearing sham, which I doubt, as the paper's digital archives go back quite a ways), Palin will have a hard time explaining her decision, even to her growing legion of fans. While she might have been uninvolved with the creation of the policy, she promoted Charlie Fannon to chief of police, and then (assuming she had at least some reservations with his decision) neglected to exercise her oversight authority when Fannon decided to charge for rape kits. The average citizen would likely agree that law enforcement agencies should spare no expense in investigating sexual assault cases, including finding out, via rape kit, whether or not a sexual assault actually happened. Demanding that a person pay for her own kit–which can cost anywhere from $400 to over $1,000–significantly reduces the odds that she'll get tested, which in turn reduces the odds that police will find the culprit and that prosecutors will be able to make the charges stick.

But the worst part about the decision to charge alleged victims is that it wouldn't have saved the city that much money:

According to [Wasilla Police Chief Charlie] Fannon, the new law will cost the Wasilla Police Department approximately $5,000 to $14,000 a year to collect evidence for sexual assault cases.

Cutting taxpayers' burdens and reducing the size and scope of government is–in most cases–a good idea. But forcing sexual assault victims to directly pay for some types of law enforcement services, and not others (unless Wasilla also directly charges residents to investigate burglaries, or violent crimes) is abusive and, in this case, clearly misogynistic. Furthermore, where the hell on earth is a multi-million dollar hockey rink a more important expenditure than protecting citizens?