Boston Uprising owner Robert Kraft refuses plea in sex traffic case

Boston Uprising owner Robert Kraft turned down a plea deal offered by Florida prosecutors after he was charged with soliciting prostitution at a massage parlor.

It was confirmed earlier this week that the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office had offered to drop charges leveled against Robert Kraft and 24 other men involved in the sex trafficking sting should they concede that they would be found guilty if tried in a court of law. Kraft would also have been required to perform 100 hours of community service and attend a class on prostitution’s dangers if he wanted his two counts of solicitation dropped. The 77-year-old also had to agree to be tested for sexually transmitted diseases and to pay a court fee of $10,000.

According to an ESPN investigative report, admitting guilt is a “non-starter” for Kraft, who stuck with his plea of not guilty on both counts. For the Uprising and New England Patriots owner, distancing himself from the human trafficking allegations and sealing video evidence are now his main priorities.

Now that Kraft has refused the deal, he will be put on trial and, if found guilty, could face up to one year of jail time.

Kraft is one of about 300 men charged in Florida as part of the state’s continued efforts in cracking down on human trafficking. It’s been reported that ten affected parlors have been closed after investigators uncovered that women working there were Chinese immigrants forced to live in the spas and perform multiple sex acts each day.

“As long as there is a demand, there will be a supply – and I was stunned by the amount of demand,” said Sheriff William Snyder, who led the massage parlor investigation.

Kraft visited Orchids of Asia twice in late January, just before watching the Patriots play in Kansas City. Police stated that they secretly videotaped the billionaire engaging in a sex act in exchange for cash.

While the NFL has yet to take any action against Kraft, paying for a prostitute is a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.