Aurora – A man accused of assaulting at least 18 children in Colorado has used a variety of tactics to get access to youngsters, including volunteering as a basketball coach seven years ago in New Mexico, police say.
In 1998, a half-dozen elementary and middle school boys in Roswell, N.M., claimed Zuri- Kye Latifbay McGhee fondled them, in some cases repeatedly, Roswell police Detective John Wayne Davis said Tuesday.
But in an agreement with prosecutors, McGhee pleaded guilty to a nonsexual offense – contributing to the delinquency of a minor – so details of those allegations did not follow him to Colorado.
McGhee became a coach to get access to the kids and to gain their trust, said Davis, who worked the case. The coach allegedly assaulted many of the boys at a hotel suite he rented to celebrate his birthday, he said.
“He had pedophilic tendencies. He was grooming the boys,” said Davis, adding that he was concerned McGhee would molest again.
In Colorado, McGhee, 31, pretended to be between 13 and 15, police say. He befriended boys and girls ages 9 to 14 and engaged in sexual activities with them, some more than 100 times, they say. He also volunteered at local schools and churches and would dress as a celebrity look-alike for events.
Colorado authorities have identified 18 victims and believe there may be many more in Aurora. McGhee has been charged with 11 counts, including sexual assault of a child/pattern of abuse and enticement of a child.
McGhee was arrested last month and is in the Arapahoe County jail on $800,000 bail.
Davis is puzzled that a stronger case wasn’t made in New Mexico, but he said he understands how difficult it can be to require young children to testify in court against a man they liked.
Charged in 1998 with 23 felony counts of criminal sexual contact with a minor, McGhee pleaded guilty a year later to a felony count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to a clerk at the Fifth Judicial District Court in Roswell. He served a 321-day jail sentence.
Mike Turner, executive director of the Esperanza House Inc., a Roswell agency that interviews child abuse victims, also questioned the plea deal.
He interviewed some of McGhee’s alleged victims.
“I don’t know what went wrong with the case,” he said. “It saves the young victims having to testify in court. But then again, is justice done?”
Kea Riggs, the prosecutor in McGhee’s New Mexico case, did not return phone calls for comment. Jesse R. Crosby, who was McGhee’s defense attorney, declined to comment.
Kim Elliott, Roswell Parks and Recreation director, said McGhee was a popular volunteer basketball coach for two years before criminal charges were filed against him.
Davis said McGhee molested at least one of the members of his basketball team at the gym. At a hotel suite he rented to celebrate his birthday, McGhee fondled several of the boys while others slept, Davis said.
One of the boys told his mother, who reported to police, he said. All of the boys on the team were interviewed. Some said they had not been molested.
After serving his New Mexico sentence, McGhee apparently moved in April 1999 to Aurora to live with his sister and her two children.
Because he was never convicted of sex offenses in New Mexico, McGhee did not have to register as a sex offender in Colorado.
But the ex-husband of McGhee’s sister filed for a restraining order to forbid McGhee contact with his daughters, who were 1 and 2 years old at the time.
In the court document, the ex-husband wrote that he believed his children were in imminent danger, and he was in “fear of my children being molested.” The restraining order, however, was never enacted. Court papers did not say why.
Police say McGhee met some of his victims in Colorado by volunteering at and associating himself with schools and churches. Both school districts that serve Aurora say they have no record of McGhee as a volunteer.
The Cherry Creek School District says it has been working with the Aurora Police Department. Some of his alleged victims were students there.
But the district says McGhee was never officially affiliated in any way with its schools.
He did attend a student event last spring as a guest of a student’s family, said Tustin Amole, district spokeswoman.
Aurora school officials are contacting principals and staff to see whether McGhee was a volunteer.
“Right now we don’t have a record,” said Georgia Duran, Aurora Public Schools spokeswoman. “If we get any reports, we will contact the Aurora Police Department.”
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-820-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
