Fast food worker offered to pay minor for sex acts via CashApp, Alabama police say

A fast food employee is accused of offering to pay a minor he knew through work for sex acts, Alabama police say.

Palarius Rodericus Calhoun, 30, of Birmingham offered to pay the minor using CashApp, a mobile app that allows users to instantly transfer money, the Hoover Police Department said in a Sept. 1 news release.

McClatchy News could not immediately reach Calhoun for comment.

The investigation began when the victim’s mother told police she believed her child had been solicited, according to the statement. Calhoun and the underage person were “work-related acquaintances,” it said.

The man was arrested and brought to Jefferson County Jail on Thursday, Aug. 18, police say. He was charged with soliciting a minor for prostitution, but was later released on a $20,000 bond.

Calhoun may have been employed at several fast food chains in the Birmingham-Hoover area, and investigators say there may be more victims.

One in 10 children are sexually abused before turning 18, and about 90% of those child victims know their abuser, according to a study from Darkness to Light, a sexual abuse prevention organization.

Hoover is a southern suburb of Birmingham.

This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 1:49 PM with the headline "Fast food worker offered to pay minor for sex acts via CashApp, Alabama police say."

Emmalyse Brownstein

McClatchy DC

Emmalyse Brownstein is a National Real-Time Reporter covering the Southeast. She’s an alumna of the University of Miami, where she was editor-in-chief of Distraction Magazine. She has reported for Miami New Times, Wine Spectator and more.