On April 10, police in East Goshen Township, Chester County arrested Monica DeJesus, 22, of Frankford, along with Justin Atchison Harris, 36, of East Greenwich Township, for allegedly robbing an East Goshen resident. According to police, as reported by 6 ABC Action News, the alleged victim was a sex buyer who did not pay Ms. DeJesus, an alleged prostituted person. Ms. DeJesus called Mr. Harris—who was armed—to the residence and a confrontation ensued. It is unclear whether Ms. DeJesus had knowledge that Mr. Harris was armed.
It is unclear why the police and the media confidently identify Ms. DeJesus as a prostituted person—there are only references to “further investigation.” According to a docket search, this is Ms. DeJesus’s first and only arrest in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Notably, when police first came into contact with her, she told them that she had been raped. Certainly, if Ms. DeJesus is in fact a prostituted person,
Ms. DeJesus’s characterization by the media is even more offensive when compared to the media’s treatment of her co-defendant, Mr. Harris. The media is willing to call Ms. DeJesus a “prostitute” with flimsy justification. However, not one outlet referred to Mr. Harris as a “pimp” or even potentially a “pimp” despite the fact that during Ms. DeJesus’ alleged encounter with the sex buyer, Mr. Harris was waiting for her at a nearby parking lot. It would appear that his waiting for Ms. DeJesus, and the logical potential of his financial interest in the encounter—and the fact that he was charged with promoting prostitution—would all indicate that Mr. Harris is a sex trafficker.
The CSE Institute is discouraged that, based on all reports, the alleged sex buyer was not arrested for engaging in criminal conduct. The CSE Institute also condemns the news media for their use of the word “prostitute” and their overall stigmatizing treatment of Ms. DeJesus. This incident was portrayed in various news articles as a business transaction gone wrong, with Ms. DeJesus as the “villain.” However, in this instance, it appears highly likely that the alleged robbery victim took part in the sexual exploitation and victimization of Ms. DeJesus. The CSE Institute does not condone armed robbery or any forms of violence. The issue here is the treatment of Ms. DeJesus by the news media and by the police. If Ms. DeJesus is truly a prostituted person, she is a victim and should be treated as such and offered all of the protections that crime victims are legally entitled to.
All views expressed herein are personal to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law or of Villanova University.