By Gary Klien
MEDIANEWS STAFF
A Richmond man with a violent past was charged Friday with pimping a 16-year-old girl in San Rafael he met through MySpace.com, authorities said.
Melvin Charles Parker Jr., 32, was booked into Marin County Jail early Friday morning after San Rafael police arrested him in the Canal district. Police were led to Parker after stopping to question the girl, who appeared to be looking for sexual customers in the area of Belvedere and Verdi streets.
The girl, a runaway from Washington state, told police that she arrived in the Bay Area on Aug. 3 to see a man she had met on MySpace.com, the social networking site, said San Rafael police spokeswoman Margo Rohrbacher. There was no mention of prostitution until after she arrived.
"He told her that he wanted her to prostitute herself, or his friends would look up her family and hurt them," Rohrbacher said. "She would give all her money to him, and he would give her money for food and clothing. She was staying with him at some location in the East Bay."
Under the direction of police, the girl called the suspect, claimed she had a customer waiting and asked how much to charge for sex. The pimp gave the girl instructions and said he would meet her at the Canal area Burger King to collect the money.
"He instructed her to take care of business," Rohrbacher said.
Police arrested Parker when he drove up to the restaurant in a white Plymouth Sundance. Police also found marijuana in the car, which was impounded.
The girl was taken to Juvenile Hall while authorities arranged to send her back to her family. She turns 17 years old later this month.
Parker was arraigned Friday afternoon on charges of soliciting for a prostitute, pandering, unlawful sex by fraud or fear, sale or transportation of marijuana and driving with a suspended or revoked license, according to a criminal complaint filed by Deputy District Attorney Linda Witong. A plea hearing is pending.
Parker was being held in lieu of $30,000 bail.
According to court documents, Parker has a criminal history going back at least 13 years. His convictions include robbery, possession of a firearm by an ex-felon and possession of cocaine base for sale in Contra Costa County; burglary in San Mateo County; possession of marijuana for sale in Sacramento County; and abduction of a minor for the purpose of prostitution in Solano County.
