obert Kraft, the 77 year-old owner of 2019 NFL champion New England Patriots, stands to spend up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine if found guilty of soliciting prostitution by a court at Palm Beach County in Florida.
In addition, Florida law also imposes a mandatory 100 hours of community service and educational program on the negative effects of prostitution and human trafficking.
Kraft faces two counts of soliciting someone to commit prostitution. The charge is a first degree misdemeanor. Kraft is not in custody.
The Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office said no charges of human trafficking were brought against Kraft or against any of the other men charged in court. But this might change in the future depending on what investigators find.
Kraft and at least two dozen other men have been accused of soliciting prostitution.
The public humiliation being borne by Kraft, the multi-billionaire chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group and who also owns Major League Soccer's New England Revolution, sprang from his two days of visits to a spa which authorities say is a front for prostitution.
Police video shows Kraft first visiting the Orchids of Asia Day Spa at the town of Jupiter in Palm Beach on the afternoon of Jan. 19 and again on the morning of the next day, which was also the day of the AFC championship won by Kraft's New England Patriots.
Police filmed both of Kraft's visits using cameras installed as part of a months-long investigation into central Florida day spas and massage parlors suspected of being used for prostitution.
The affidavit filed by Palm Beach prosecutors is graphic in its description of Kraft's doings at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa. It said surveillance cameras show Kraft at the spa on Jan. 19.
The affidavit says the Patriots owner paid for services in cash at the front desk. At a massage room, Kraft lay naked on a massage bed. A female employee can be seen on the video toying with Kraft's genitals, said the affidavit.
Kraft returned to the spa on the morning of the next day. While he lay naked on a massage bed, a woman began toying with his genitals. She then put her head down by his genitals, said the affidavit. The woman later used a towel to wipe Kraft's genitals. The affidavit says Kraft gave this woman at least $100.
Kraft has denied any wrongdoing
"We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further," said Kraft's spokesperson.
The NFL said it 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."
This article was first published in IBTimes US. Permission required for reproduction.
