New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been charged with soliciting prostitution at a Florida spa just hours before the Patriots played in the AFC Championship Game, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Palm Beach County.
The 77-year-old billionaire is among 25 people charged with soliciting another to commit prostitution, State Attorney for Palm Beach County Dave Aronberg said Monday.
The charges resulted from a months long investigation into sex trafficking that focused on several central Florida day spas and massage parlors suspected of being used for prostitution.
The investigation began when a health inspector observed curious details that suggested women might be living at the day spa.
Kraft faces two counts of soliciting someone to commit prostitution. He allegedly visited the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter on January 19 in the afternoon and again on the morning of January 20, according to the affidavits.
The Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Kansas City later on the 20th to advance to the Super Bowl.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft could be charged as early as Monday with soliciting prostitution, according to the State Attorney’s Office in Palm Beach County, Florida.
Kraft attends the 2018 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Cleveland’s Public Auditorium in April.
Under Florida law, the charge is a first degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail, a $5,000 civil penalty, and a mandatory 100 hours of community service and educational program on the negative effects of prostitution and human trafficking.
Incidents caught on camera
Covert surveillance equipment was installed at the spa on January 17 as part of the investigation, the affidavit states.
On the afternoon of the January 19, the cameras show Kraft visited the spa and paid for services in cash at the front desk, and he was then taken to a massage room, undressed and lay on a massage bed. A female employee can be seen on the video manipulating his genitals and later wiping Kraft’s genitals with a towel, according to the affidavit.
Afterward, Kraft left the facility and got into a white Bentley, and police then conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and confirmed his ID, the affidavit states.
The next day, Kraft returned to the spa at about 10:59 a.m. and again undressed and lay face up on a massage table, the affidavit states. There, a woman began manipulating his genitals and then put her head down by his genitals, the affidavit states. After a few minutes, the woman used a towel to wipe Kraft near his genitals, the affidavit says.
Kraft gave her a $100 bill plus at least one other unidentifiable bill and left the room at 11:13 a.m., according to the document.
Flight information for Kraft’s private jet shows that the plane flew from Bedford, Massachusetts, to Palm Beach International Airport on January 18, landing shortly after 2:30 p.m.
Two days later, Kraft’s plane took off from Palm Beach bound for Kansas City just before 2 p.m., the data from flight tracking site ADS-B Exchange shows. The jet landed at Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport about 3:25 p.m. local time (4:25p ET), flight data show, and the playoff game between the Patriots and Chiefs began at 5:40 p.m. local time.
Kraft denies wrongdoing
Kraft, who has a home in Palm Beach, has retained a defense attorney in Florida, according to Mike Edmondson with the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office.
Kraft would not need to appear in Jupiter on the two counts, according to Edmondson. His attorney could appear on his behalf.
A spokesperson for Kraft has denied that he committed a crime.
“We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further,” the spokesperson said.
Aronberg, the state attorney, said that no charges of human trafficking had been brought in any of the cases, but that could change in the future depending on what investigators find.
CNN on Monday obtained a new statement from the NFL regarding Kraft and the league’s personal conduct policy. “Our Personal Conduct Policy applies equally to everyone in the NFL,” the statement said.
“We will handle this allegation in the same way we would handle any issue under the Policy. We are seeking a full understanding of the facts, while ensuring that we do not interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation. We will take appropriate action as warranted based on the facts.”
