Television personality and transgender reality star Sidney Starr has been arrested in Georgia on multiple felony charges tied to an alleged sexual assault involving a juvenile.
Starr, whose legal name is reportedly Sidney Favors, was taken into custody Sunday after police investigated an incident that allegedly occurred at an Embassy Suites hotel in Hapeville, Georgia.
According to the Hapeville Police Department, officers responded on August 2 to the hotel at 3450 International Boulevard. Authorities later said the case involved “multiple felony offenses related to an alleged sexual assault involving a juvenile.”
Favors was reportedly charged with sodomy, aggravated child molestation, and sexual battery against a child under 16.
Those are allegations, and Favors has not been convicted. The case will have to move through the courts, where prosecutors will be required to prove the charges.
Still, let’s not pretend these are small accusations.
This is not a reality-show feud, a nightclub argument, or another manufactured celebrity scandal designed to squeeze out a few days of attention. The alleged victim is a child, and the charges are about as serious and stomach-turning as they come.
Starr, 37, became known through appearances on programs including “Atlanta Plastic,” “Love & Hip Hop: New York,” and “Girlfriends and Champagne.” In 2021, Starr received publicity for becoming the first transgender cast member to join “Baddies ATL,” a spin-off connected to the “Bad Girls Club” franchise.
At the time, Starr celebrated the casting on social media.
“I’m finally a Bad Girl Baddie!” Starr wrote. “I’m The First Transgender Bad Girl cast member for The Baddies of Atl tv show!”
A booking photo circulated online after the arrest, and suddenly the carefully cultivated television persona was replaced by a police image and a list of felony charges.
Former New Hampshire Democratic state lawmaker Stacie Laughton, for example, was sentenced to 33 years in prison after being convicted on charges involving the sexual exploitation of children. Authorities said Laughton encouraged a partner to take explicit photographs of children at a Massachusetts day care.
The Western Journal stated, “Trans activists frequently seem to be interested in children.”
They continued, saying, “These people often seek positions in education, public office, and other influential roles. The rhetoric surrounding their mental illness has pushed for acceptance and tolerance under the theory that they are just trying to live their lives. After incidents like these, that’s no longer a defensible position.”
Police have not publicly released every detail surrounding the alleged incident. The precise timeline, the relationship between the accused and the juvenile, and the evidence supporting the charges have not all been disclosed.
For now, the known facts are grim enough.
A reality television personality has been arrested. Police say the case involves an alleged sexual assault against a juvenile. The reported charges include sodomy, aggravated child molestation, and sexual battery against a child under 16.
There is nothing glamorous about that.
There is nothing brave about it.
And there is no television edit capable of making it less disgusting.