Oh Mr. Patriots owner, did you really think you wouldn’t get caught?

Florida makes national news, again! This time for human trafficking and prostitution… thanks to New England Patriots owner Robert K. Kraft.

Kraft was arrest Friday (Feb 22) on two counts of soliciting sex from a prostitute during a sting in Florida. This according to Jupiter police. </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> JUPITER — New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was charged with two counts of soliciting prostitution in connection with a Florida spa tied to an international human trafficking ring, police said Friday.

The NFL owner was charged with paying for sexual services at Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter.

The spa was among 10 shut down in the Orlando area, Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast after a several-month investigation revealed women there were in "sexual servitude," according to arrest records.

A detective said the acts were captured on surveillance video.

Kraft, 77, has not yet been arrested on the misdemeanor charges, according to the Jupiter Police Department.

Kraft bought the Patriots in 1994 for $172 million. He is the head of the Kraft Group, a holding company with investments in a number of industries, including sports and real estate. He is worth an estimated $6.6 billion, according to Forbes.com.

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Kraft is a longtime seasonal resident of Palm Beach County, according to the Palm Beach Daily News.

Under Kraft's ownership, the Patriots have played in 10 Super Bowls and have won a record-tying six Super Bowl championships.

Women, many of them from China, lived in the spa and were not permitted to leave, according to Martin County Sheriff Will Snyder.

The owner of that spa, Hua Zhang, 58, of Winter Garden, was arrested and charged with deriving support from the proceeds of prostitution, keeping and frequenting a house of prostitution and 26 counts of procuring for prostitution.

More: Human trafficking in Florida massage parlors: What happened in Vero Beach and Sebastian?

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The National Human Trafficking Hotline is confidential, toll-free and available 24/7 in more than 200 languages. </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> (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 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> • Robert Kraft, the New England Patriots owner, was charged Friday with two counts of soliciting prostitution.
• The charges are related to a months-long investigation by the Florida police into massage parlors they said were tied to human trafficking.
• The police said there was video evidence of Kraft in relation to both charges.

Robert Kraft, the New England Patriots owner, was charged Friday with two counts of soliciting prostitution.

Kraft was charged with paying for sexual services at Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter, Florida, according to TCPalm.com. The Jupiter police say there is video evidence linking Kraft to both incidents.

The charges are related to a months-long investigation by the Florida police into massage parlors tied to human trafficking. The investigation led to the shutdown of 10 spas.

Chief Daniel Kerr of the Jupiter Police Department told reporters that dozens of people faced charges, and he confirmed that the Kraft who had been charged was the Patriots owner.

Kerr can be seen confirming the charges against Kraft at about the 2:35 mark in the below video of the press conference.

Kraft released the following statement in response to the news: “We categorically deny that Mr. Kraft engaged in any illegal activity. Because it is a judicial matter, we will not be commenting further.” </s> Less than one month after the New England Patriots won their sixth Super Bowl in franchise history, longtime owner Robert Kraft has been charged with misdemeanor crimes stemming from his alleged involvement in a human trafficking ring. According to police in Jupiter, Fla., Kraft is one of several people who were charged, and has been charged with two counts of soliciting prostitution.

Kraft, who has a residence about half an hour away in Palm Beach, has reportedly not yet been arrested, although there is a warrant out for his arrest that will go to his home in Massachusetts, per Deadspin. </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.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is charged in a prostitution sting in the U.S. state of Florida.