Ex-wrestler's rape/cut parties

[The F-Files]

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Ex-wrestler fights bizarre sex charges

By Brian Feagans, Bill Rankin
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/16/07

He's known as "The Colorado Crusader," "The Georgia Blond" and, most notably, "Hardbody Harrison."

But this week former pro wrestler Harrison "Hardbody" Norris Jr. is fighting a far more sinister tag: violent sex lord. It's one that could keep him out of the ring —- and in prison —- for at least 20 years. Norris, 41, is on trial in Atlanta on federal charges that he kept nine women as sex slaves in his two Cartersville homes.

Serving as his own attorney, Norris has started countering a week of testimony about bloody head butts, maniacal mind games and forced orgies called "cut parties," in which women had to have sex with up to eight men at a single gathering. In reality, Norris contends, the women willingly entered his homes —- living with his wife and one of his three children —- because they wanted to train as pro wrestlers.

Norris says many of the women arrived on drugs and left in the best shape of their lives. The women say that may be true, but the push-ups, squats and strict diets were designed to prepare them for something else: prostitution. They say Norris pimped them out at Latino nightclubs, trailer parks and parties until three of them ran to police during a shopping trip in Smyrna.

During the two-week trial, Norris has sported a bright orange prison jumpsuit and trademark braids that, in the ring, were often dyed blond. He has cross-examined his alleged victims and successfully lodged objections to prosecution testimony. This week, he began presenting his own witnesses.

U.S. District Judge Jack Camp, well known for making lawyers move things along at trial, has been patient with Norris and allowed him to consult a stand-by lawyer.

Alleged victims have taken the stand to describe how Norris earned initial trust by bailing them out of jail or getting them off drugs with promises of a pro wrestling career.

One, who was given the name "Lexi," testified that she was strung out when she met Norris at a gas station in Cobb County. "He asked me if I'd ever considered a job in professional wrestling," said Lexi, then 30. "Being on the streets, you get tired. This seemed like something positive in my life."

She moved in with Norris and was given a list of tasks to complete. One, called "HB Training," turned out to be sex with Norris.

Lexi asked the other girls about the last item —- called "CPT" —- but couldn't get a straight answer. At the end of her first week, as she stood outside a home in Rabun County, she found out what it meant. It was time for her "cut party." As Norris and the others watched in the living room, Lexi had sex with three men.

Norris is being prosecuted under an anti-human trafficking law first passed in 2000. Designed to halt the flow of sex and labor slaves into the United States, the law also has emerged as a weapon against homegrown trafficking.

The government must prove interstate activity, which includes everything from transporting victims across state lines to giving them condoms manufactured outside Georgia. At its core, however, the case revolves around one central question: Were the women forced into prostitution?

Lexi testified that Norris wouldn't let her leave until she paid off debts, including money he spent on her diabetes medication. Once she thought she'd turned a final trick to settle the debt when Norris tacked on another charge for a portrait he had made with her in a casino.

The women say Norris —- known for calling his fists "The Pork Chop" and "The Biscuit Cutter" in Toughman matches —- made clear that he would use violence if necessary.

One alleged victim, given the name "Mocha," said that after she had her own "cut party" with eight men, Norris took another woman to have hers inside a hotel room. When this woman resisted, Mocha testified, Norris head-butted her.

"What happened next?" Assistant U.S. Attorney Karima Maloney asked.

"She did what he told her to do," Mocha testified.

A former Army sergeant and Gulf War veteran, Norris imposed a military-style structure in the homes, several witnesses said. The more experienced women were designated "team leaders" who watched over "soldiers."

Norris, who slept in the "General's Quarters," controlled their movements and their money, said Rose Davenport, a team leader. She testified that the women had to memorize "Hardbody's 10 Commandments." The First Commandment was "Respect Hardbody." The 10th: "If you have any questions, ask Hardbody." (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not name alleged victims of sex crimes, but Davenport is not listed as a victim in the government's case).

Women who forgot a commandment —- or broke a rule on a list called "The 20 Things" —- had to pay fines into piggy banks labeled with their transgressions. One read "Talks too much," Davenport testified.

Norris also kept a list of chores for each woman on the refrigerator, she said. Those who didn't cut down trees, plant sod or cut the grass earned fines for their teams, too. The result, several women testified, was a cycle of debt they couldn't break, no matter how much they prostituted.

Norris has argued that he was already wealthy and didn't need to pimp. Norris, who is black, was part of a discrimination lawsuit against Atlanta-based World Championship Wrestling in 2000. He settled out of court for a sum his family says was upward of $1 million.

Norris' next-door neighbors presented a dramatically different picture of what went on at Norris' home.

Cindy England testified that she saw the women come and go as they pleased. She invited some over to swim in her pool. As time went on, she said, the women lost weight and their self-esteem grew. None seemed unhappy, looked abused or told her they wanted out of Norris' grasp, she said.

England's husband, John, testified that he went to the women's wrestling matches at Norris' house.

"They were getting better every week," he said.

In their testimony, the women conceded that Norris and others taught them take-down moves and how to announce a wrestling match. But no tickets were ever sold to the events in Norris' backyard gym. And the women didn't get paid for wrestling.

The real business, they said, was prostitution. At various Latino clubs around metro Atlanta, men paid $5 to dance with one of the women. A much higher rate —- $100 to $200 —- would buy sex. Norris always kept half, and he often took part of the women's share to pay for hairdos, pedicures and other living expenses, they said. The highest-earning woman could sleep in a special bedroom called "Queen's Palace." A list on the wall spelled out amenities such as "$200 off fines," "Day off" and "Private TV." The women said "the Queen" only had to have sex with one man: Norris.

[delphyne]

Hell on earth.

[elfeminista]

Ditto