A South Florida police officer has been fired after authorities allege he got caught up in an undercover prostitution sting.
According to a Boynton Beach police spokeswoman, the man was fired last week. The eight-year veteran has been on paid administrative leave since October.
Police allege the man drove up to a woman he believed to be a prostitute and offered her $20 for oral sex. The woman was actually an undercover deputy with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
Boynton Beach police terminated the man for conduct unbecoming a police officer and conformance to law.
Prostitution stings are regularly conducted by police across the country. In some cases, law enforcement agents will place false advertisements for escorts or massage therapists online or in classified ads. In other cases, detectives will pose as prostitutes on the street or other areas looking to arrest “John’s,” or those looking to solicit sex. Responding to online ads or inquiring about sex could land an otherwise innocent person behind bars and facing charges of solicitation.
Solicitation of prostitution in Florida is against the law and carries serious legal consequences. Beyond the legal consequences, a charge of solicitation can wreck personal lives and relationships as well as end careers, as this case shows.