Rapist Attacking Providers Hits Media

[Dave in Phoenix]

This is not from Canada but in Phoenix. But may be of some interest. Big issue was the legal status which is why victims didn't want to report to the police.

Rapist Attacking Providers Hits Media

I never sought out this publicity and in fact I had hoped it would not be picked up by the media. But I was surprised it hadn't been picked up from police reports long ago. The experience was terrible for all the victims and they don't need to be reminded of it by the media. Having to testify at a trial unless he takes a plea bargain with a long prison term, will be bad enough for the victims. It will be interesting how hard the family of the rapist will fight the charges with financial support for defense lawyers.

Background of rush of media to be the first with the story
Scottsdale Tribune reporter Toni Laxson contacted me late Friday. At first I was hesitant to get involved with the media, but she was going to run the story from the police reports anyway so I thought I would be cooperative. She had spent a lot of time researching the story and was concerned that if I report on it before it was published; other media might pick it up. She wanted to be the first to get it published and picked up on the AP wire services where others can run it but crediting Toni and the Tribune in the byline. The Tribune was also the first to break the story about Sheriff having his deputies get naked and more when busting the about 80 private sexworkers and lured in clients.

On Monday after I mentioned in the Sunday night Private List update that the story would be published, I get an E-mail from a Channel 3 reporter (the one who was on the Survivors TV show) wanting to talk to me. Toni doesn't think the Private List was the source of the leak, but someone in the Tribune copy room. I told Toni I would not talk to Channel 3 until she got the story out. But she was still concerned Channel 3 would run it. The Tribune has a close relationship with Channel 15 and gave them the story Tuesday not to be beat by Channel 3.

Channel 15 despite a very busy news day, squeezed in a quite well done segment on the 10pm news. Channel 3 did not report it. The only problem with the Channel 15 report is they credited my Liberated Christians website with getting the word out. They even showed someone keying in "Liberated Christians" very clearly seen in the Explorer window (but incorrectly, its libchrist.com) and showed some pages on the site. BUT my Liberated Christians site has nothing whatsoever to do with sexwork. It is about Christian sexual issues related to and supportive of swinging and Polyamory. The visual effect was quite creative, but it was the wrong site, not where the warnings were issued to providers, which was the Private E-mail List not a website.

The following Tribune story is very accurate. It may be picked up by the AZ Republic via the AP. In this report I have changed by real name to “Dave in Phoenix” that I prefer rather than my real name which was actually misspelled in the article. Since I have conservative clients in my real business, I prefer my real name not be so public. But since it was in the police reports as the source of how the providers contacted the police, I can't avoid the reporter using it. At least it was spelled wrong!

Suspect held in rapes of escorts

Continued

 

[Dave in Phoenix]

Suspect held in rapes of escorts

Publication: East Valley Tribune
Wednesday, January 07, 2004
Page:1

E-mail service head aids police in arrest of Valley man

By TONI LAXSON TRIBUNE

(Dave in Phoenix) is an unlikely sex crimes detective.

Yet the Phoenix businessman, who runs a subscription e-mail service for "A-list" escorts and their clients, had a hand in the capture of a man charged with raping at least six escorts in Scottsdale and Phoenix, according to a police report obtained by the Tribune.

The assailant "choked most of them until they passed out, and they woke up with him raping them," (Dave in Phoenix) said. "A couple of them told me they thought they were dying."

It was through (Dave in Phoenix) and his information clearing house that the women realized their attacker had other victims, which eventually led Scottsdale police to arrest Joseph Nicholas Ligidakis, a 28-year-old Phoenix truck driver. "Everybody thought they were the only ones," (Dave in Phoenix) said. "And nobody was going to the police."

The escorts feared police would either ignore their stories or try to charge them with solicitation, he said. "Then I found someone who wanted very much to talk to them — no matter what their profession was," he said.

That person was Scottsdale police Sgt. Bruce Ciolli, who assigned detectives to the case and, with (Dave in Phoenix’s) assistance, found initial victims to interview.

"The bottom line was that regardless of who the victims are, there was someone committing a very violent crime," Ciolli said. "And we had somebody who was increasing their propensity for violence with each crime. "We sought out these victims through (Dave in Phoenix) and other victims, but we believe there may be others who are just not coming forward."

Police on Aug. 13 arrested Ligidakis, who has since been identified in a photo lineup by at least four of the women and whose DNA matches that from a condom left at one rape scene, according to the report. Ligidakis has been held without bail in Maricopa County’s Madison Street Jail in Phoenix since his arrest because of a prior federal conviction, a jail official said.

Ligidakis, who was indicted by a grand jury Dec. 2, faces his initial pretrial conference Jan. 29 on 23 charges that include sexual assault, kidnapping and aggravated assault, said Bill FitzGerald, spokesman for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Adam Horan, Ligidakis’ attorney, declined to let his client be interviewed and would not discuss the case. "I can't, obviously, disclose anything, any details, at this point because of the pending criminal charges," Horan said. "And he is looking at many, many years — if he is convicted — in prison."

Ligidakis is the son of Nikos "Nick" Ligidakis, a Scottsdale restaurant owner, philanthropist and publisher. The Greek immigrant, owner of the Authors’ Cafe and Inkwell Productions, is a master chef and author of cookbooks and inspirational writings. For years he has hosted free dinners for the homeless at his restaurants, and in 2001 founded the Children’s Pen Foundation, a nonprofit educational program to help sixth and seventh-graders develop writing skills by composing short stories and poetry on the theme "What kind of hero does our world need today?"

Reached at his restaurant at 4014 N. Goldwater Blvd., Nick Ligidakis said the arrest of his younger son has been painful for the rest of the family, none of whom have had any brushes with the law. "I have two other children who don't even have traffic tickets," he said. "All my life I have tried to do good, so I don't know what to say. If he has done wrong, he needs to pay the consequences. But I still love him."

Steve Ligidakis, the suspect’s older brother, said publicity regarding the case will taint the rest of the family, their children and their businesses. "Because it is such a recognizable name. If I was Steve Smith, I wouldn't worry about it," he said. "It’s nothing less than a tragedy to us."

Police say Joseph Ligidakis robbed his victims of money and cell phones and threatened to kill them and their families if they told authorities, according to a summary of the assaults that started in early 2003.

The rapes began as arranged transactions with a man who called the escort services in response to advertisements in a newspaper. As soon as the women turned away from the man, he would choke them until they passed out.

Family and friends told police Ligidakis holds a blue belt in Brazilian jujitsu — a martial arts discipline that teaches a choke hold that cuts off the blood and oxygen supply to the brain. Steve Ligidakis told police his brother was very proficient and "never lost a competition match."

Many victims started to cry when they identified Ligidakis’ picture in the photo lineup, police said.

Continued

 

[Dave in Phoenix]

Detectives tracked down Ligidakis after obtaining a search warrant for the escort services’ telephone records, which led them to the cell phone used to make the appointments, police reports said.

Kim Yedowitz, who oversees a team of nurses specifically trained in treating sex assault victims, said men who prey on prostitutes often assume their victims will never contact police.

That assumption backfired this time, she said.

"I think because police know that prostitutes, escorts, are going to be easy targets," she said. "I don't think they are as colored by myths that other people hang onto — you know, that wives and prostitutes can't be raped. They know it does and will happen."

 

[Arfur]

Great work, Dave!

 

[The Fruity Hare]

Good for you, and even more so for those ladies who were attacked.

Well done.