By Lisa Rosetta
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune

A Draper man who allegedly pimped out two girls - one of them a runaway - from his home is scheduled to be arraigned on pornography, prostitution and drug charges today in U.S. District Court.
    Police say that on Feb. 6, Super Bowl Sunday, Alexander Arash Zarif paid two 16-year-old girls $50 each to perform oral sex on several men at his home in the 14000 South block of Pepi Band Road (1015 East). He then allegedly gave them vodka and filmed them naked in a bathtub touching and kissing one another.
    Zarif, 29, is charged with possession and production of child pornography, enticing a minor to engage in prostitution, possession of a firearm by a restricted person and possession of methamphetamine.
    In Utah's 3rd District Court, he is charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of aggravated exploitation of a minor, supplying alcohol to a minor and aiding prostitution.
    On Feb. 17, Zarif was arrested after police served a search warrant on his home and found an explicit video of him with an unidentified girl.
    They also seized a plastic bag of methamphetamine, a video camera, a shotgun, shotgun shells and a Sprint cell phone.
    Zarif told the girls he ran a brothel and that they could make up to $300 a night working for him, according to the federal criminal complaint. He allegedly called several men on his cell phone and invited them to his house. Zarif told the girls to wait in a bathroom on the third floor of his house and to "act professional" when the men arrived, according to the complaint.
    Zarif is set to appear today in Judge David Nuffer's federal courtroom for his arraignment and preliminary detention hearing. He is being held in the Salt Lake County jail in lieu of $100,007 bail.
    lrosetta@sltrib.com
   
   

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