Sewickley piercing shop owner facing numerous charges, including promoting prostitution
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A local piercing shop owner is facing troubling charges related to prostitution, terroristic threats, and the corruption of minors.
All of this started when Zachary Watson, the owner of Genysis Body Art offered a job to a 17-year-old girl after she got a piercing at his shop.
According to court documents, the teenage girls says Watson would constantly make comments about his customers' physical appearances after they left the shop and would make inappropriate comments.
But one day, Watson brought the girl to the back of the shop, said he and his wife would be opening a bra store, and asked the girl about her bra size and asked to see a picture of her in a bikini.
Watson then asked the 17-year-old girl to show her breasts several times, on multiple days, and even asked her to have sex with him while offering to give her $100 each time -- but she declined.
Police say the girl got a piercing from him, and during that time, Watson went under her shirt, rubbed her back, and tried to pull down her collar.
At some point, the criminal complaint states that Watson made the teen sign a non-disclosure agreement to try and keep her from saying anything and even gestured at a gun he had in the shop if she spoke.
He now faces a slew of charges, including promoting prostitution, terroristic threats, indecent assault, intimidation of witnesses or victims, and corruption of minors
Watson was released from jail on nonmonetary bail and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for later this month.
