Gang member, Spokane business owner arrested on child rape, sex trafficking charges

A gang member and downtown Spokane shoe store owner was arrested Wednesday at his business on suspicion of sex trafficking, rape and several other charges.

Taurean D. Jones, 38, is accused of raping a 14-year-old girl several times and providing money, drugs, alcohol and clothing to the teen for the sexual acts on himself and his friends, according to court documents.

Many of the encounters occurred at his store, Check Point NW, 2 N. Post St., according to documents. The girl described one occasion to police when Jones held a gun to her head before Jones’ friends took turns raping her in the upstairs room of the store, court records say.

The girl reported the alleged crimes, which happened over several months, to a Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office deputy in December.

She said she met a man named, “Macc,” later identified as Jones, at his store in June 2024. She described several of his tattoos, including one that said “Crip” and a wheelchair tattoo on his neck.

Jones is affiliated with the Murder 1 Crips street gang, according to Spokane police in documents. Jones goes by the moniker, “T-Macc,” and the wheelchair tattoo is used as a symbol by Crip gang members, police wrote.

She said she returned to see Jones multiple times over a few weeks, and eventually, the girl and Jones agreed he would “manage (the girl’s) sexual activity so she could make money,” according to documents.

She said Jones threatened to kill her on two occasions, frequently carried a gun and that she was sexually exploited.

The FBI interviewed the girl in February.

She said during her first meeting with Jones at his store, Jones gave her and her friend marijuana, and they exchanged Snapchat messaging accounts.

She said Jones drove the girl and her friend, a then-14-year-old boy, to the boy’s relative’s house in Spokane. Jones picked up the two teens about 1 a.m. the next day, and drove them to a gas station where Jones bought alcohol and vapes for the teens. He then drove them to a park where they drank alcohol. There, Jones exposed his penis to the boy, the boy told police.

The girl reported Jones drove them back to the boy’s relative’s house, where he got out of the car, but Jones drove away with the girl. The girl told Jones to let her out, but he refused, she said.

He then forced her to give him oral sex after she refused multiple times. Jones then allegedly pulled the girl out of the car and raped her.

She said she told him to stop several times and tried to get away, but he held her in place. Jones then gave her cocaine and marijuana, she said.

A few weeks later, Jones contacted the girl on Snapchat and apologized, she said in documents. He offered her free drugs, and the girl informed Jones she was only 14.

She came to the store at Jones’ request in July 2024. He apologized, gave her money and told her he was going to spoil her. He also told her he had friends who were interested in her.

She reportedly went to the store the next day, and Jones led her to an upstairs room where Jones’ friend raped her. Afterward, Jones gave her money, marijuana and cocaine. The girl said the same “scenario” occurred multiple times.

In August, she said she tried to leave the upstairs room after Jones told her two of his friends were going to have sex with her. Jones pulled out a pistol and put a gun to her head, so she complied and the men raped her, she said in court documents.

The girl described another time after that when Jones allegedly raped her at his store.

When arrested Wednesday, Jones denied the sexual encounters and also denied communicating or having a relationship with any underage teen. When police showed the Snapchat messages between him and the girl, he said he didn’t recall them but if the person using that account was 14, he didn’t know it.

Police found a stolen 9 mm pistol, 158 grams of cocaine and a digital scale in Jones’ Mercedes, according to documents.

Jones was booked into the Spokane County Jail on suspicion of promoting commercial sexual abuse of a minor, commercial sexual abuse of a minor, first-, second- and third-degree child rape, possession of a controlled substance- distribution to a minor, unlawful possession of a firearm, indecent exposure and possession of a stolen firearm, according to Spokane police in a news release.

Jones made his first appearance on those charges Thursday in Spokane County Superior Court, where his bond was set at $1 million. An extra $50,000 was added as he awaits trial on assault, unlawful imprisonment and harassment charges for an alleged domestic violence incident in which he’s accused of assaulting a woman.

Jones has previous convictions for a drive-by shooting outside a north Spokane nightclub, a riot charge stemming from a gang-related shooting and a second-degree assault charge from shooting at a motorist, according to previous Spokesman-Review reporting.

Counselors and child advocacy groups are working with the girl in the sex trafficking case, police said. Victims of trafficking or anyone who knows someone being trafficked can visit humantraffickinghotline.org/en/report-trafficking for assistance or call (888) 373-8888.