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New England Patriots owner pleads not guilty to prostitution charges

By  Associated Press
   
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In this Jan. 20, 2019, file photo, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft walks on the field before the AFC Championship NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo. The illicit massage parlor sting in Florida that ensnared Kraft is a reminder of how challenging it’s been to crackdown on underground prostitution operations. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has pleaded not guilty to two counts of misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution in a Florida case.

Kraft’s attorney Jack Goldberger filed the written plea in Palm Beach County court documents released Thursday. The 77-year-old Kraft is requesting a non-jury trial.

Kraft was among hundreds of men charged in a crackdown on massage parlor prostitution and an investigation into human trafficking at Florida spas. Ten spas have been closed and several people, mostly women originally from China, have been charged with running the operation.

Police say Kraft paid for sexual acts at the Orchids of Asia massage parlor in Jupiter, Florida, the night before and morning of the Jan. 20 AFC Championship game. He then flew to Kansas City, where he saw his team beat the Chiefs.

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