Robert Kraft Is Formally Charged With Solicitation Over Visits To Florida Day Spa

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Updated at 5:46 p.m. ET

The Florida state attorney's office in Palm Beach says New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been charged with two counts of soliciting prostitution, days after police alleged surveillance video had caught Kraft during two visits to the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Fla.

State Attorney Dave Aronberg said at a news conference Monday that Kraft, a resident of Massachusetts who also has a home in Palm Beach, is among 25 people facing first-degree misdemeanor charges of soliciting another to commit prostitution.

As for potential penalties, Aronberg said the charge potentially carries a prison sentence of up to one year, along with "mandatory 100 hours of community service, a mandatory $5,000 fine, and a mandatory class on the dangers of prostitution and human trafficking."

The police investigation into the spa was aimed at stopping human trafficking, which Aronberg equated to "modern day slavery" and called an "evil in our midst."

Officials will send Kraft a summons about the charge, the state attorney said. He also said all of the cases will be handled in the same way.

"No one gets any special justice in Palm Beach County," Aronberg said. He later added that none of the alleged "johns" were targeted, saying they come from "all walks of life — there's rich [and] poor, there's young and old."

The women who worked at the spa were victims of a criminal enterprise who deserve the government's help, Aronberg said. While he didn't provide new details about how the women who worked at the Jupiter spa arrived in the U.S., the state attorney described how human traffickers often lure women to come to the U.S. for the promise of a better life, but instead force them into becoming sex workers.

Kraft and the other men, including former Citigroup President and COO John Havens, and Wall Street financier John Childs, were snared in a sting operation that targeted the strip-mall massage parlor and spa — part of a broader investigation into what officials allege is a system of human trafficking and money-laundering.

Martin County Sheriff William Snyder, whose office opened the investigation that led to more than 300 arrest warrants across Florida counties, told NPR's All Things Considered the sting was launched after receiving a tip about one of the illicit businesses.

A health care worker visiting one of the day spas noticed suitcases in one of the massage parlors and other indicators that some of the women might be living in the storefront business, Snyder said. Eventually, officials discovered that six to eight women were living in the small commercial space at any given time.

"They were staying inside the massage parlor for 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Snyder explained, adding that the women, most of whom do not speak English, "were working seven days a week."

He said the women cooked food on hot plates and slept on the same massage tables where they were forced to provide sexual services for eight to 15 men per day.

A Chinese woman currently in protective custody has provided grim details about how some of the women ended up working there.

She told investigators she was offered a job "making a lot of money" in an American nail salon, Snyder said. "And before she knew it she came here and found herself in the sex trafficking industry in massage parlors."

She did not speak out because she feared her family in China would be put at risk if she cooperated with law enforcement.

In other cases, he said, women are trafficked into the country with their children and forced into making a horrible bargain with their captors: Engage in sex work in exchange for the well-being of their children.

"There are coercion points that keep them in bondage and the person with the key is not the trafficker. It's the men who go into these parlors and avail themselves of this human misery," Snyder told NPR. "I think they are monsters."

The Martin County probe quickly led to a multi-jurisdictional investigation in Indian River County — where billionaire Childs and three law enforcement officers were snagged — and Palm Beach County, where Kraft and Havens were charged.

Jupiter Police Chief Daniel Kerr said in a press conference on Friday that there is video evidence of the criminal acts "for all of the individuals being charged," including Kraft.

"We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity," a spokesman for The Kraft Group told NPR Friday in a statement about the case. "Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further."

Jupiter police raided the Orchids of Asia spa early last week, Kerr said at a news conference Friday. In addition to Jupiter, the coordinated police operation targeted businesses in Martin County and Indian River County. The Jupiter raid came after police collected video evidence from cameras hidden inside the facility.

"We're as equally stunned as everybody else," Kerr said of the high-profile suspects who now faced solicitation charges.

Kraft's is not the only boldface name among the spa's alleged clients. Also on the list is Citigroup's former president and chief operation officer John Havens.

The spa charges $59 for a half-hour treatment and $79 for a full hour, Detective Andrew Sharp said on Friday. When Sharp was asked if there is video evidence of Kraft in the massage parlor room receiving alleged sex acts, he replied, "The answer to that is yes."

In addition to seeking charges against men who visited the spa, Jupiter police also arrested its owner, Hua Zhang, and its manager, Lei Wang.

Kraft, 77, has a net worth that's estimated at some $6.6 billion. He was recently ranked No. 79 on Forbes magazine's list of the wealthiest people in the U.S. Most famously, Kraft has turned the Patriots into a dynasty, winning multiple Super Bowl titles since its first championship in 2002. He acquired the franchise in 1994.

Childs, founder of private equity firm J.W. Childs Associates, was among 165 people charged by the Vero Beach Police Department and whose photo was released on the police website.

"I have received no contact by the police department about this charge," he told Bloomberg on Friday. "The accusation of solicitation of prostitution is totally false. I have retained a lawyer."

A man who answered the listed phone number for Havens told the news outlet: "I have no idea what you are talking about," when asked about the charges.

In addition to the criminal charge in Florida, Kraft also faces the possibility that the NFL could take action against him.

League spokesman Brian McCarthy said on Friday that the NFL is "aware" of the allegations and is monitoring the case. The NFL's personal conduct policy explicitly prohibits sex offenses — and the rules apply to everyone in the league, McCarthy said.

The policy also seeks to impose a higher order of responsibility for one's actions than simply avoiding being found guilty by the justice system.

On Monday, the NFL issued an updated statement saying that it is "seeking a full understanding of the facts," and pledging to "take appropriate action as warranted based on the facts."</s>New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, recently charged with two counts of soliciting a prostitute at a spa in Florida, was allegedly at that spa on the same day his team competed in the AFC Championship game in January, according to prosecutors.

Kraft, 77, was captured on surveillance video at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter on Jan. 19 and Jan. 20, charging documents released by the Palm Beach State Attorney's Office on Monday stated.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS OWNER ROBERT KRAFT FACES LEAGUE DISCIPLINE AFTER PROSTITUTE ALLEGATIONS

On Jan. 20, the billionaire allegedly entered a room at the spa, hugged a woman inside and removed his clothing before laying face up on a massage table. At 11:02 a.m., the woman began "manipulating" Kraft's genitals, which continued "for several minutes," the affidavit from Jupiter Police read.

"After a few minutes, [the woman] wiped Kraft in the area of his genitals with a white towel, helped him get dressed and hugged him again," officials said. Kraft gave the woman a $100 bill and another bill before leaving around 11:13 a.m., according to prosecutors.

On the same day Kraft allegedly engaged in that encounter, the Patriots competed in the AFC Championship game in Kansas City, Missouri. Kraft attended that game.

Dave Aronberg, state attorney for Palm Beach County, said Kraft — who was charged with two misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution — will be issued a summons similar to a traffic ticket and assigned a day to appear in court.

FANS OF PATRIOTS' RIVALS TRAVEL TO FLORIDA SPA WHERE ROBERT KRAFT ALLEGEDLY SOLICITED SEX

Most people charged for the first time with soliciting are eligible for a diversion program under which they pay a small fine, perform 100 hours of community service and attend a class where they learn about the dangers of prostitution and how it is often tied to human trafficking.

Kraft is one of hundreds of men charged in recent days as part of a crackdown on prostitution occurring in massage parlors between Palm Beach and Orlando. Ten spas have been closed.

Aronberg at a news conference on Monday steered away from Kraft's case specifically and spoke about human trafficking. No human trafficking charges have been filed against Kraft or any of the other defendants connected to the massage parlors.

"These cases aren't about any one defendant or any group of defendants," he said. "The larger picture which we must all confront is the cold reality that many prostitutes in cases like this are themselves victims, often lured into this country with promises of a better life only to be forced to live and work in a sweatshop or a brothel, performing sex acts for strangers."

Aronberg noted that Florida has particularly severe punishments for human trafficking and allows the workers to be treated as victims if they cooperate, and said the federal government can offer visas for victims who are foreign nationals if they cooperate.

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A spokesperson for the Patriots said in a statement on Friday that the team "categorically [denies] that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further."

The NFL added: "The NFL is aware of the ongoing law enforcement matter and will continue to monitor developments."

Fox News' Ryan Gaydos and The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg discusses the formal charges against Robert Kraft and others for allegedly soliciting prostitution. (0:47)

Authorities say New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft visited a Florida massage parlor for sex acts on the morning of the AFC Championship Game, which he attended in Kansas City later that day.

According to documents released by the Palm Beach State Attorney's Office on Monday, it was the second visit by Kraft to the parlor in less than 24 hours.

The documents say Kraft arrived at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in a chauffeured 2015 blue Bentley at 11 a.m. on Jan. 20. He was videotaped receiving oral and manual sex from a woman at the spa in Jupiter. Officials say he gave her a $100 bill and another bill before leaving at 11:15 a.m.

The AFC Championship Game against the host Chiefs kicked off at 6:40 p.m. ET. Kraft, who is also the owner of the New England Revolution of MLS, was in attendance.

The 77-year-old Kraft, who was also seen soliciting prostitution on video surveillance just 17 hours earlier on Jan. 19, was officially charged with two misdemeanor counts of first-degree solicitation, Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg announced Monday.

A court date has been set for 8:30 a.m. ET on April 24. Kraft will have a "low level" arrest warrant issued in his name -- similar to a traffic ticket -- and he will not need to appear in court. Kraft has hired Jack Goldberger of firm Atterbury, Goldberger & Weiss to represent him in the process.

If convicted, Kraft could face one year in jail, a $5,000 fine, 100 hours of community service and attendance in a human trafficking dangers class.

In a statement Friday, when the nature of the charges were first announced, a spokesperson for Kraft said they "categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity."

Kraft's arrest was part of a crackdown on sex trafficking in Florida. Hundreds of arrest warrants, including 23 others in Palm Beach County, have been issued as a result of a six-month investigation, and more are expected. Ten spas have been closed from Palm Beach to Orlando, and several people charged with sex trafficking have been taken into custody.

Another high-profile businessman, former Citigroup President John Havens, 62, is also charged with paying for sex at the Orchids of Asia spa. He too has denied wrongdoing. He was Citigroup president in 2011 and 2012 and now runs a hedge fund that was spun off from Citigroup.

Authorities investigated the parlors for months, gathering enough evidence through observation, interviews with men stopped leaving the spas, trash bin searches and surveillance of their owners. Judges then issued warrants allowing them to secretly install cameras inside the spas to record what transpired.

Aronberg steered Monday's news conference away from Kraft and to the larger issue of human trafficking, though no human trafficking charges have been filed against Kraft or any of the other defendants connected to the massage parlors.

"The larger picture, which we must all confront, is the cold reality that many prostitutes in cases like this are themselves victims, often lured to this country with promises of a better life, only to be forced to live and work in a sweat shop or a brothel performing sex acts for strangers," Aronberg said.

Before raids began last week, most of the women were living in the spas and were not allowed to leave without an escort, police say.

Earlier Monday, the NFL said it will handle Kraft's case as it would any other issue under the league's conduct policy.

The NFL said in a statement Monday that its personal conduct policy "applies equally to everyone in the NFL" and it will handle "this allegation in the same way we would handle any issue under the policy."

The league said it is "seeking a full understanding of the facts, while ensuring that we do not interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation." The NFL said it will "take appropriate action as warranted based on the facts."

Commissioner Roger Goodell could fine or suspend Kraft from any activities involving the Super Bowl champions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft on Friday was charged with two counts of soliciting prostitution at a Florida spa — and cops say there’s video.

Kraft, 77, is accused of paying for sexual acts at Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, located about 90 miles north of Miami. His name was among more than a dozen who were charged.

Police said they have Kraft, and others, on video receiving the sexual acts and that he participated in prostitution in Florida two separate times.

The spa had been shut down after a months-long investigation revealed women were participating in “sexual servitude,” TC Palm reported, citing arrest records. Nine other spas in Orlando, Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast had also been shut down as part of the investigation.

Police said the suspects paid between $59 and $79 for services.

Authorities said they handed the case over to the state’s attorney’s office and they were working on an active warrant for Kraft’s arrest.- READ MORE</s>New England Patriots owner and part-time Palm Beach, Fla., resident Robert Kraft is one of 25 people facing charges of soliciting prostitutes as part of a series of human trafficking and prostitution arrests in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast, Jupiter Police Chief Daniel Kerr said Friday.

Police say they have video of Kraft, 77, paying for sex acts last month at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter. Investigators obtained a warrant Jan. 15 to set up cameras in the spa at the Jupiter Square shopping plaza and from Jan. 18 through Jan. 22 police captured 26 instances of men paying for sex acts at the spa.

The plaza is at Indiantown Road and U.S. 1., just southeast from Harbourside Place.

Records show the men spent between 30 minutes and an hour in the spa. Lead detective Andrew Sharp told reporters at a news conference Friday that the men paid according to how long they spent in the spa. An hour cost $70, he said.

>>RELATED: Robert Kraft says Donald Trump lifted his spirits after wife’s death

“We’re as equally stunned as everyone else,” Kerr said about Kraft’s involvement in the prostitution ring.

A spokesperson for Kraft said in a statement: “We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.”

The Patriots did not release a statement. The NFL also did not respond for comment but the NFL’s personal conduct policy states that “ownership and club or league management have traditionally been held to a higher standard and will be subject to more significant discipline when violations of the Personal Conduct Policy occur. Colts owner Jim Irsay was suspended six games in 2014 and fined $500,000 after being arrested on drug charges.

Police released the names of 25 men, of which Kraft is the most notable, against whom they have requested charges be filed. The Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office will decide whether to proceed with the cases, including that of Kraft, a Massachusetts resident who long has had a residence in Palm Beach.

If the defendant has a physical address in Palm Beach County, he will receive a notice to appear, said Mike Edmondson, spokesman for the SAO. The offense is not subject to extradition, so an out-of-state resident such as Kraft would not be subject to arrest unless he returned to Florida.

>>RELATED: Kraft was in Palm Beach as recently as this past Saturday, donating money

The crimes are considered a second-degree misdemeanor for a first offense, carrying a jail term of up to 60 days, according to Florida statutes. A second offense is a first-degree misdemeanor, carrying prison time of up to one year. A third or subsequent offense is considered a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison.

The sexual activity at the spa, sandwiched among a surf shop, a nail salon, a game room and a Thai restaurant, is believed to be tied to an international human-trafficking and prostitution ring extending to New York and to China.

Under state and federal law, human trafficking is defined as soliciting, recruiting, harboring, transporting or otherwise obtaining another person to exploit him or her for labor, domestic servitude or sexual exploitation. Florida ranks third in the nation in the number of cases reported to the national human-trafficking hotline.

“Our concern in this investigation centers around victims of human trafficking,” Kerr said, adding that authorities are working with advocacy groups and interpreters to gain information and help those who were trafficked.

Law enforcement announced the first arrests in their monthslong investigation into the ring on Tuesday at a news conference in Stuart. The owner and manager of Orchids of Asia Day Spa were arrested this week. Hua Zhang and Lei Wang face a slew of prostitution-related charges, including maintaining a house of ill fame and deriving profits from prostitution.

Records indicate that Zhang and Wang both participated in and took payment from sex acts done at the storefront business. Multiple other spa managers across Florida have been arrested in connection to the ring, and hundreds of men who visited the day spas are expected to face charges.

Both Zhang and Wang remained in custody Friday at the Palm Beach County Jail.

Thus far, authorities have arrested people in Palm Beach, Martin and Indian River counties.

Kraft owns a double apartment at 1 N. Breakers Row in Palm Beach, a rental building owned by the Breakers resort.

He is said to be close to President Donald Trump. Kraft is often seen at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club on Pam Beach. He attended Trump’s wedding in 2009 and was a guest at a pre-inauguration dinner.

Kraft, in fact, was in Palm Beach as recently as Feb. 16, when he showed up for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute gala. The center cared for his wife Myra before her death from cancer in 2011 at age 68. They had been married almost 50 years.

Later Saturday, Kraft attended the Everglades Foundation’s dinner dance at the Breakers, where he donated $100,000.

Kraft and Trump bonded over Myra’s death. Kraft was devastated by his wife’s death, and Trump and his wife Melania reached out to him, expressing concern for him and his family.

Kraft said Trump would call and check in with him “once a week for the whole year, the most depressing year of my life when I was down and out. He called me every week to see how I was doing, invited me to things, tried to lift my spirits. He was one of five or six people that were like that.”

Trump spoke about the death of Kraft’s wife and the effect it had on his friend to the Boston Globe in 2013.

“They had an amazing marriage, and Bob was devastated when she died,” Trump said. “He suffered greatly for a year, and he still suffers. But at some point, life has to go on, and it’s going on for Bob.”

Kraft is currently unmarried. He has been linked romantically in the past to actress Ricki Noel Lander.

Kraft was involved in a notable sale in Palm Beach in 2010.

A trust affiliated with him sold an oceanfront vacant lot at 947 N. Ocean Blvd. for a recorded $19.32 million. The trust had bought the vacant lot five years prior for $19.13 million.

Kraft not only owns the Patriots but the New England Revolution Major League Soccer team and is said by Forbes magazine to have a net worth of $6.6 billion.

Kraft has become known for his philanthropy, donating more than $100 million to causes. He also was the recipient of the 2019 Genesis Prize from Israel. The annual award is given for professional achievement and commitment to Jewish values.

It is currently unknown when Kraft visited the Jupiter spa.

His team was in the playoffs from Jan. 15, when investigators obtained a warrant to set up cameras in the spa, until they won the Super Bowl on Feb. 3. The team had a two-week break, from Jan. 20 to Feb. 3 before the Super Bowl, played in Atlanta.

His coach, Bill Belicheck, has a home in the Jupiter area, as does former Patriots coach Bill Parcells, who coached for Kraft’s Patriots from 1993-96.

West Palm Beach attorney Valentin Rodriguez said he has handled prostitution defendants for years. He said the state’s top concern in most prostitution cases is not putting the johns in jail but providing them with AIDS awareness, which usually involves taking a mandated class.

The Kraft arrest may be trickier, though, he said.

“I always get deferred deals where the charges are dropped in exchange for something the defendant has to complete,” Rodriguez said.

“However, I think the real issue here is whether any of the defendants, including Kraft, knew of the underlying trafficking ring.”

If so, he said, the arrest “could raise the case to a different level, than just picking up a prostitute at the corner of Broadway and 45th.”

Palm Beach Post staff reporter John Pacenti and staff researcher Melanie Mena contributed to this report.

This is a developing story. Check back later for more details.</s>New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has been officially charged with two first-degree misdemeanor counts of soliciting prostitution, according to the Palm Beach State Attorney's Office.

Kraft and 24 other men were charged as part of a crackdown on sex trafficking.

Authorities say 77-year-old Kraft visited a Jupiter, Florida massage parlor the morning of the AFC Championship Game, which he attended in Kansas City later that day.

According to documents released by the Palm Beach State Attorney's Office on Monday, it was his second visit to the parlor in less than 24 hours.

The documents say Kraft arrived at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in a chauffeured 2015 blue Bentley at 11 a.m. on Jan. 20.

A spokesperson for Kraft said in a statement they "categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further."

A league spokesperson issued the following statement to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

"Our Personal Conduct Policy applies equally to everyone in the NFL. 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."

The Associated Press contributed to this report</s>Robert Kraft, one of the most powerful figures in US sport, has been charged with two counts of soliciting prostitution.

Mr Kraft, the owner of Super Bowl winners New England Patriots, is one of 25 people facing similar charges following a lengthy investigation into human trafficking and money laundering across Florida.

The 77-year-old sports magnate could, in theory, face a year in jail if convicted. However, announcing the misdemeanour charges, Palm Beach County state attorney Dave Aronberg said a custodial sentence was unlikely for a first time offender.

Those convicted also face a mandatory $5,000 fine and being required to perform 100 hours of community service and attend a class on the dangers of prostitution and human trafficking.

A spokesman for Mr Kraft said that he categorically denies the charges.</s>Talk about kicking a billionaire when he's down!

New England Patriots haters are now making a pilgrimage to the Florida shopping-center massage parlor where the Supre Bowl champion team’s owner allegedly was a customer.

They came to take selfies and display their shock at the human-trafficking prostitution sting that’s snagged many big names.

“I am a Jets fan, so I’m here to take a picture,” a Long Island, New York man named Steve, 51, told The New York Post while on holiday. “It’s so sad — you’re reading all this stuff, and Kraft was contributing to all of this.”

Robert Kraft, 77, faces charges of soliciting a prostitute after he was twice videotaped in a sex act at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Florida between Jan. 18 and Jan. 22, police said Friday.

Kraft was identified along with 25 other suspected johns, investigators said.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS OWNER ROBERT KRAFT CHARGED WITH SOLICITING SEX AT FLORIDA SPA

“Spending a long time in Boston and not being from there, I have a long animosity towards the Patriots,” said lawyer Rachel Mozzarella, 34, of Florida, who came to the spa to take a selfie.

The spa Kraft allegedly visited is in a busy, upper-middle-class shopping center with neighbors that include a dentist, a real estate office, surf and bike shops and a supermarket.

The owner of Orchids of Asia, 58-year-old Hua Zhang, was arrested Tuesday on 29 prostitution and related charges. Police in her arrest report said they watched video of her employees performing various sex acts with two dozen customers. Her attorney, Gennaro Cariglio Jr., had no comment.

Mozzarella added that she thought it was “amusing he was caught this way, but it’s also highlighting the issue of sexual exploitation.”

The Patriots won the Super Bowl this month over the Los Angeles Rams for their sixth NFL championship in the past 18 seasons, making them the most successful team in pro sports during that span. Before the Super Bowl, several retired NFL players appeared in a public service announcement decrying sexual exploitation and human trafficking in Atlanta, the host city.

Kraft lives in Massachusetts and has a home in the Palm Beach area. Kraft’s wife, Myra Hiatt Kraft, died in 2011.

Kraft, who made his initial fortune through a packaging company, bought the Patriots in 1994 for $172 million to keep the team from moving to St. Louis. He hired Bill Belichick as coach in 2000, and the team later drafted quarterback Tom Brady, launching its nearly two decades of success.

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At the spa, people shouted “Kraft cheese” as they posed for selfies.

“I can’t believe how many morons like me are here taking a picture,” a man identified as Brock P. of Jupiter said. “Now this place is a historical site, it’s a tourist attraction — everyone wants a picture.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>(Reuters) - Florida prosecutors on Monday filed formal charges against Robert Kraft, the billionaire owner of the New England Patriots football team, and about two dozen other men for soliciting prostitution at massage parlors, authorities said on Monday.

The investigation by law enforcement officers in three Florida counties into the trafficking of young women to work at day spas and massage parlors has led to hundreds being charged.

Kraft, 77, and the other defendants charged with first-degree misdemeanors “come from all walks of life,” Dave Aronberg, the state attorney for Palm Beach County, told reporters.

On Friday, police named Kraft as a client at the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, saying they had video of him engaging in paid sex acts with a worker there on two occasions.

Florida law requires that defendants convicted of those crimes pay a $5,000 fine, perform 100 hours of community service and take classes on the dangers of prostitution and human trafficking, Aronberg said. While they also face possible jail time of 60 days to one year, it is not likely to be applied to first-time offenders, he said.

Kraft denies engaging in “any illegal activity,” according to Aaron Salkin, a spokesman for Kraft and the Super Bowl champion Patriots, the National Football League’s dominant franchise.

Kraft and the other defendants were charged as part of a statewide probe into human trafficking, which Aronberg said was still underway.

“The larger picture which we must all confront is the cold reality that many prostitutes in cases like this are themselves victims,” he said.

The NFL, which said last week it was monitoring the case, released a new statement on Monday saying everyone, including team owners, were bound by the league’s personal conduct policy.

“We are seeking a full understanding of the facts, while ensuring that we do not interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation,” the statement said. “We will take appropriate action as warranted based on the facts.”</s>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 monthslong investigation into sex trafficking that focused on several central Florida day spas and massage parlors suspected of being used for prostitution.

Kraft faces two counts of soliciting someone to commit prostitution. He allegedly visited the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida, 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, Missouri later on the 20th to advance to the Super Bowl.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is charged with two counts of first-degree solicitation in Florida.