Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Charged in Florida Sex Trafficking Sting
Money can't buy happiness. But you'd think it would buy a higher class of massage parlor. The Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida is not a higher class of massage parlor. It's a strip mall spa at the center of a months-long human trafficking and prostitution sting that netted solicitation charges against 25 people, including New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
And that might just be the tip of the iceberg.
Patriot Games
Kraft has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution, after allegedly being caught involved in sex acts at least twice on video surveillance equipment. Kraft hasn't been arrested yet, but ESPN reports a warrant is forthcoming. Hundreds of other arrests warrants have been issued as a result of a six-month investigation into sex trafficking in Florida from Palm Beach to Orlando. Ten spas have been shuttered, and owners and managers have been arrested and charged with sex trafficking.
According to Treasure Coast Newspapers, sexual activity and servitude were rampant at Orchids of Asia:
Surveillance revealed a steady stream of male clients at the nondescript business in a Jupiter strip center between 9 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. They would stay for 30 minutes to an hour, arrest records show.
Women, many of them from China, lived inside and were not permitted to leave, detectives learned.
Police found napkins coated in seminal fluid in a trash receptacle outside the spa on more than one occasion. Condoms were rarely used, according to arrest warrants.
Conduct and Confidence
The AP is reporting that a spokesperson for Kraft responded to the charges in a statement that they "categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further."
The NFL has also said it is "aware of the ongoing law enforcement matter and will continue to monitor developments." Players, owners, coaches, and other employees are all subject to the league's conduct policy, and can be punished for "conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in" the NFL. "Ownership and club or league management have traditionally been held to a higher standard and will be subject to more significant discipline," according to the policy.
Related Resources:
- Patriots Owner Bob Kraft Charged With Soliciting Prostitution (Deadspin)
- Patriots' Owner Sued as 'Social Host' for 2 Tailgating Deaths (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Appeals Court Reinstates Tom Brady's Deflategate Suspension (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Aaron Hernandez's Family Sues NFL, Pats for Loss of Consortium (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
