Kraft charges part of human trafficking sting – ProFootballTalk

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The prostitution sting which included Patriots owner Robert Kraft was part of a larger sweep of Florida establishments regarding human trafficking.

Kraft has been charged with solicitation, and officials in Jupiter, Fla., said they have videotaped evidence of Kraft, who allegedly made two trips to the Orchids of Asia Day Spa.

“Our concern in this investigation centers around victims of human trafficking,” Jupiter Police Chief Daniel Kerr said, via Olivia Hitchcock of the Palm Beach Post.

Kerr also said they were working with interpreters and advocacy groups to gain more information about the women who were trafficked.

Kraft was one of 25 people charged with solicitation Friday. The crime is a second-degree misdemeanor, carrying a jail term of up to 60 days for first-time offenders. Kraft has issued a statement denying the charges.

The sting is believed to be linked to an international human-trafficking and prostitution ring. Florida and federal law defines human trafficking as “soliciting, recruiting, harboring, transporting or otherwise obtaining another person to exploit him or her for labor, domestic servitude or sexual exploitation.”

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder said many of the women working at the locations involved in this week’s sweep were brought to the United States under the guise of having legitimate jobs, but were forced to work in the sex trade. The Orchids of Asia Day Spa had beds, dressers, and a kitchen, which suggests that people were living in the storefront unit.