Rochester Man Admits to Prostitution Charge

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Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man today entered a guilty plea to a gross misdemeanor charge stemming from a "sting" investigation conducted by Rochester police last fall as part of a crackdown on prostitution activity.

54-year-old Darryl Lee Franklin admitted to a charge of engaging in prostitution as a patron. He was sentenced to six months on supervised probation and was fined $500.

Franklin was among six men charged as a result of the investigation, which involved an ad placed by the Police Department on various websites known to be used by people seeking to pay for sex acts. Investigators rented out rooms at an undisclosed hotel in Rochester and undercover officers "chatted" electronically with people answering the ad.

The criminal complaint says Franklin was among those who answered the ad and exchanged text messages with an undercover officer. The charges stated the two arranged to meet and Franklin was instructed that he would be required to pay a $130 "donation" for a half-hour visit.

Franklin was arrested when he came to the location rented by the Police Department and knocked on the door. Court records indicate he was in possession of a cell phone, $420, and two condoms.