Erotic City
Blue Summit
Jackson County Legislature
Jesse Herd
Click here to read the second part of this series on Erotic City: Behind the glory holes, orgy rooms and sex booths is a board of directors that includes a felon, a preteen and others who think things aren’t that bad.
Click the image above for a map of the criminal case against Jesse Herd.
She was only 14 when her stepfather took her to Erotic City and allegedly prostituted her in the club's "orgy room." Sometimes, 20 men took turns having sex with the girl inside the anything-goes space, an oversized porn video booth where clientele, most of them gay men or swingers, met frequently for anonymous sex. The booth was big enough for 15 people. After the strangers finished with the girl, her stepfather took his turn. The girl would later estimate that over the course of two years, she had sex with her stepfather 80 to 90 times in hotel rooms, parks, houses and cars, and at Erotic City.
It's Tuesday afternoon, February 12, and it's bitterly cold outside the federal courthouse in Kansas City, Kansas. The girl, now 18, waits alone in the back of a sterile courtroom for the sentencing of her stepfather and alleged abuser, Jesse Franklin Herd III. Federal prosecutors accuse Herd of taking the girl across state lines with the intent of prostituting her and engaging in other sex acts. Herd could have faced a maximum life sentence, but he has admitted the allegations and signed a plea agreement guaranteeing him 18 years in federal prison.
The young woman's left leg jackhammers the floor as she fidgets with the nervous energy that comes with dread. Her curly hair is pulled back. She clutches a couple of sheets of notebook paper, on which she has written her first public statement to her stepfather. A woman at the prosecutor's table pulls tissues from a box and hands them to her.
When the courtroom's heavy wooden doors open, a dozen bikers covered with tattoos, leather and denim fill up the benches behind the victim. They're from a local chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse. To protect her identity, court records refer to her only by her initials. But her biker friends know her as "Shorty" — what she calls her "road name."
Herd enters the courtroom through a side door. U.S. marshals lead the prisoner, who is shackled from his wrists to his waist to his ankles. The 6-foot-3, 390-pound Herd dwarfs his attorney, Paul Dent. He wears an orange, prison-issued jumpsuit with "inmate" stenciled in block letters on the back. His once shaggy hair is flat, white with black patches in the back. His goatee frames the corners of his mouth.
Family members — wife, children, father, mother- and father-in-law — fill the benches behind him. A girl with shoulder-length dark hair, maybe in her mid-teens, blows Herd a kiss from the front row of benches behind the defense table. Herd smiles.
Shorty's knee shakes more with Herd sitting about 20 feet away from her. Tears slide down her cheeks as she darts out of the courtroom. The bikers empty the benches and follow her. Her loud crying is audible through the double doors.
Herd has a smirk on his face as he looks over his left shoulder at his family. For a man who has agreed to serve 18 years in federal prison, and whose victim can be heard sobbing uncontrollably, Herd looks like he's in a good mood.
Jesse Herd lies. The worst lie he told was to Shorty in July 2004. According to court records, Herd told the then-14-year-old that he was taking her to The Shady Lady, a Kansas City, Missouri, strip club, to count money and take inventory.
The girl's mother, Kindra Herd, would later tell investigators that Herd said he had invested in The Shady Lady and Erotic City. Kindra Herd, who didn't return phone calls from The Pitch, told investigators that the girl didn't want to go with her stepfather in the final three months of the alleged abuse. But according to court records, Kindra Herd told her to "quit fussing" and go to work.
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Fuck you and you statistics this was wrong period. The step father should never had taken her at all ever he's a father figure to her a safety net. But in shortyx case he was a piece of shit in anybook. Grow up see this world as it is fucked up. Shorty hang with the bikers they will be your friends and safety net they are real family.
Chris, You are correct to say this was wrong because it was not consensual-Yet I am stunned that while you quote some garbage psych study, you seem to fail to recognize that "psychologically" any sexual relation with, or at the behest of, a parent-or any authority figure-is never consensual-even if she had ever agreed to it. No child, & few young adults, is ever prepared for that kind psychological trauma-especially if they've been "groomed" from their infancy. And as far as that study goes, they had obviously left out a huge population of young adults; such, as young Mormons/Mormon missionaries, most young Muslims, many Born-Again-Christians, and other large groups of young, well-adjusted adults who've "chosen" to be celibate before marriage. Are you trying to imply that most of those are somehow suffering from sexual problems? Rubbish! It is far more likely that those in your study were likely normal-late blooming teens with self-esteem issues-which are greatly exacerbated by the immensely oversexed media imagery & peer pressures to "preform"-before they are ready emotionally...Which then creates even greater anxiety & can sometimes even lead to sexual identity issues. And don't forget some of the comments of those here who knew Herd for a long time-saying that he was a sex addict/pervert-since his youth...He had likely already fallen into the oversexed media/porn trap at a very young age-and from which few addicts can escape on their own without some serious help. Who knows? He may also have once been a victim of abuse himself-obviously he had some serious problems-But so does that entire community/authorities for knowingly allowing a cesspool of filth & corruption to continue to exist in their community-even after knowing that orgies, prostitution, & the prostitution of children were ever happening there-Shame on them all-They will all be held accountable. In my opinion the authorities there should give their local firemen some good fire & arson training, while putting that entire sick family/owners involved away-without a key.
As a woman who was sexually abused and molested at a very young age, I can only imagine the hurt and pain that Shorty had to experience and will have to live with for the rest of her life.
What many people don't understand is that when a child, male or female, is abused in this manner, they lose all sense of childhood and all sense of self. They will never get that back. I know many abused children that would rather have died than had to live every day with their past. Why is it okay for men like this to simply go to jail, get three square meals a day, clean clothes, a bed, showers--all on our tax dollars--and be released?
Rape is a death sentence for a child. It should be a death sentence for the rapist as well. If they are claiming that they have "found God"... I say let's help him get there faster. Good riddance.
As a woman who was sexually abused and molested at a very young age, I can only imagine the hurt and pain that Shorty had to experience and will have to live with for the rest of her life. What many people don't understand is that when a child, male or female, is abused in this manner, they lose all sense of childhood and all sense of self. They will never get that back. I know many abused children that would rather have died than had to live every day with their past. Why is it okay for men like this to simply go to jail, get three square meals a day, clean clothes, a bed, showers--all on our tax dollars--and be released? Rape is a death sentence for a child. It should be a death sentence for the rapist as well. If they are claiming that they have "found God"... I say let's help him get there faster. Good riddance.
What happed to this young woman was very bad because it was not consensual. Again, unconsensual sex is rape and is very very wrong. With that said, if the sex was consensual it should not have been a crime according to new scientific research. Researchers from Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, demonstrates that those that lose their virginity at a later age are more likely to experience sexual dysfunction. Those who wait till 21 or later to have sex for the first time face a high likelihood of experiencing sexual problems. This study was in the January 2008 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Again, since it was not consensual it was wrong.
What happed to this young woman was very bad because it was not consensual. Again, unconsensual sex is rape and is very very wrong. With that said, if the sex was consensual it should not have been a crime according to new scientific research. Researchers from Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, demonstrates that those that lose their virginity at a later age are more likely to experience sexual dysfunction. Those who wait till 21 or later to have sex for the first time face a high likelihood of experiencing sexual problems. This study was in the January 2008 issue of the American Journal of Public Health. Again, since it was not consensual it was wrong.
I have known Jesse all my life and I would normally be the first to come to his defense and say that there is no way this could have happened. He seemed to be a great father and family man on the outside. As a kid he was obsessed with sex but hey, what teenage boy isn't.
Looking back though I can see things that were missed. Seeing this little girl riding her bike up and down the street dressed in baggy clothes and a backwards cap makes me shudder. I always thought, she's so pretty why doesn't she dress up like her sisters? Now I see the signs that pointed to something wrong. When she smiled you could see it was half hearted and she seemed troubled like something else was on her mind. I wish with all my heart I could have put two and two together but the fact is, no one had any idea.
I hate the fact that someone calls the 'Herds' bad people. Their were a lot more people in that family than just Jesse and Kendra. Just because one person does something horrible in your family doesn't make the whole family bad. My heart goes out to the other members of the Herd family including their dad, their mom (god rest her soul), Joey and especially the children mixed up in this. They will forever be known as the kid who's dad pimped out their sister. It's going to haunt them forever and that pains me.
I do hope Jesse gets help, my guess is he always needed help and this was a problem stemming from way back when. To that little girl that rode her bike up and down the street all day doing wheelies and bike tricks, hang in there sweetie. Don't let this take away from you. You aren't to blame for anything and you have to find a way to overcome this problem and get past this hurdle in your life. Leave it behind and move on with a new outlook.
I hope when you get older and more stabilized emotionally that you try to reconnect with your siblings. They need your support and love even if at this stage they don't want or realize it.Hang in there. Stay strong and smile. He may have taken your childhood from you but he can't take away anything else unless you let him.
I have known Jesse all my life and I would normally be the first to come to his defense and say that there is no way this could have happened. He seemed to be a great father and family man on the outside. As a kid he was obsessed with sex but hey, what teenage boy isn't. Looking back though I can see things that were missed. Seeing this little girl riding her bike up and down the street dressed in baggy clothes and a backwards cap makes me shudder. I always thought, she's so pretty why doesn't she dress up like her sisters? Now I see the signs that pointed to something wrong. When she smiled you could see it was half hearted and she seemed troubled like something else was on her mind. I wish with all my heart I could have put two and two together but the fact is, no one had any idea. I hate the fact that someone calls the 'Herds' bad people. Their were a lot more people in that family than just Jesse and Kendra. Just because one person does something horrible in your family doesn't make the whole family bad. My heart goes out to the other members of the Herd family including their dad, their mom (god rest her soul), Joey and especially the children mixed up in this. They will forever be known as the kid who's dad pimped out their sister. It's going to haunt them forever and that pains me. I do hope Jesse gets help, my guess is he always needed help and this was a problem stemming from way back when. To that little girl that rode her bike up and down the street all day doing wheelies and bike tricks, hang in there sweetie. Don't let this take away from you. You aren't to blame for anything and you have to find a way to overcome this problem and get past this hurdle in your life. Leave it behind and move on with a new outlook. I hope when you get older and more stabilized emotionally that you try to reconnect with your siblings. They need your support and love even if at this stage they don't want or realize it.Hang in there. Stay strong and smile. He may have taken your childhood from you but he can't take away anything else unless you let him.
for what he did to her I hope Jesse Herd rott's for this he took her child hood and even worse......my prayers are with Shorty and I hope she can find some one out there to love her no matter what has happend in her past.
for what he did to her I hope Jesse Herd rott's for this he took her child hood and even worse......my prayers are with Shorty and I hope she can find some one out there to love her no matter what has happend in her past.
The whole entire "Jesse & Kindra Herd" family is miserable and tries, to this very day, while my brother is in prision, make others' lives miserable! Today, I am twenty-four years old, and ever since I was a little boy of nine years of age, I have watched my brother Jesse & wife; Kindra, lie, cheat, steal; and raise their kids under the same example! These two have verbally abused their own family members, let alone, financially cheated both sides of their families over the years. Both Kindra and Jesse, have been destroying their lives for over the past decade, and have raised their kids to treat people the same way, acting accordingly to the example set forth. I myself wrestle with verbal abuse from Kindra for taking PROPER CARE of our dad.. A few months after our mom passed away in August of '04, I had gotten physically harassed & asulted by her in the home that Jesse, and I had grown up in. It was appearant that Kindra was upset with me over finding out for myself that they had swindled me and dad into a financial matter that was uncalled for. It boiled down to, that both of them had taken advantage of me, and our dad in the most vulnerable time. There is so much horrible stories that have been brought on by these two, so much that they have done to dozens of people over the years in connection from their lives as individuals, and a married couple... It's exhausting really just to think about it. I have moved our dad down here to live peacefully in Branson, Missouri, though we still need to obtain the rest of dad's belongings, which we will do this Sunday; August 31st, '08. Of course, we'll have to have a Civil Stand-By, because Kindra Herd, truly is Pshychatic. Folks, why this woman has had such hatred towards me since I was nine years old is beyond me! I have pitty on other individuals who actually side with her, while Kindra has NEVER had a good enough reason to have such hatred towards me. I guess I have written all this on this site to show how cruel people can get, how much people can ruin their lives, and try to bring others that are actually conducting a good life; down. Basically, I saw this as an opportunity to vent what I've been going through lately, just trying to see to it that our dad is happy for his remaining years.
The whole entire "Jesse & Kindra Herd" family is miserable and tries, to this very day, while my brother is in prision, make others' lives miserable! Today, I am twenty-four years old, and ever since I was a little boy of nine years of age, I have watched my brother Jesse & wife; Kindra, lie, cheat, steal; and raise their kids under the same example! These two have verbally abused their own family members, let alone, financially cheated both sides of their families over the years. Both Kindra and Jesse, have been destroying their lives for over the past decade, and have raised their kids to treat people the same way, acting accordingly to the example set forth. I myself wrestle with verbal abuse from Kindra for taking PROPER CARE of our dad.. A few months after our mom passed away in August of '04, I had gotten physically harassed & asulted by her in the home that Jesse, and I had grown up in. It was appearant that Kindra was upset with me over finding out for myself that they had swindled me and dad into a financial matter that was uncalled for. It boiled down to, that both of them had taken advantage of me, and our dad in the most vulnerable time. There is so much horrible stories that have been brought on by these two, so much that they have done to dozens of people over the years in connection from their lives as individuals, and a married couple... It's exhausting really just to think about it. I have moved our dad down here to live peacefully in Branson, Missouri, though we still need to obtain the rest of dad's belongings, which we will do this Sunday; August 31st, '08. Of course, we'll have to have a Civil Stand-By, because Kindra Herd, truly is Pshychatic. Folks, why this woman has had such hatred towards me since I was nine years old is beyond me! I have pitty on other individuals who actually side with her, while Kindra has NEVER had a good enough reason to have such hatred towards me. I guess I have written all this on this site to show how cruel people can get, how much people can ruin their lives, and try to bring others that are actually conducting a good life; down. Basically, I saw this as an opportunity to vent what I've been going through lately, just trying to see to it that our dad is happy for his remaining years.
I have to say I'm a little suspicious of the story. And I have to agree with the person who said the bikers are just waiting to get in line.
I have to say I'm a little suspicious of the story. And I have to agree with the person who said the bikers are just waiting to get in line.
What a sorry excuse for a mother. Who could be so incredibly stupid to not suspect what was happening? And then to stand by your husband's side after he admits he's guilty of such horrible acts against your daughter? Is this woman so repulsive that she knows she cannot get another man, so has to settle fot this loser at the expense of her daughter? These people are such a waste to society. Tying up our tax dollars like this. I say get rid of both of them!
What a sorry excuse for a mother. Who could be so incredibly stupid to not suspect what was happening? And then to stand by your husband's side after he admits he's guilty of such horrible acts against your daughter? Is this woman so repulsive that she knows she cannot get another man, so has to settle fot this loser at the expense of her daughter? These people are such a waste to society. Tying up our tax dollars like this. I say get rid of both of them!
WTF? Someone please tell me that this so called mother had charges filed against her? Seriously what is wrong with people? My daughter is 13 I would kill him I am talking you touch my daughter you better pray the police get to you before me ...
WTF? Someone please tell me that this so called mother had charges filed against her? Seriously what is wrong with people? My daughter is 13 I would kill him I am talking you touch my daughter you better pray the police get to you before me ...
mick you are messed up in the head! Shorty I pray for you and thanks to the bikers, God loves you!
mick you are messed up in the head! Shorty I pray for you and thanks to the bikers, God loves you!
Thank you for the coverage. This poor girl needs closure so she can get on with what is left of her life. Herd deserves to be locked away from women forever. Maybe he'll find out what it is like to be prostituted.
mick you are messed up in the head! Shorty I pray for you and thanks to the bikers, God loves you!
mick you are messed up in the head! Shorty I pray for you and thanks to the bikers, God loves you!
Thank you for the coverage. This poor girl needs closure so she can get on with what is left of her life. Herd deserves to be locked away from women forever. Maybe he'll find out what it is like to be prostituted.
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