LEWISTON, Maine — Police documents released Monday from Jupiter, Fla. show that Patriots owner Robert Kraft visited a massage parlor and solicited a prostitute two times, including on the morning of the AFC championship game.
The documents describe details of Kraft's visits, one on the afternoon of January 19 and another on the morning of January 20. Jupiter police claim to have video of the sexual acts, money exchanging hands, and Kraft getting out of and into a car registered in his name.
Kraft is scheduled to be arraigned on April 24, although he does not need to be present for the arraignment.
A lot of talk on the Internet about Kraft's actions has revolved around what is perceived to be a 'victim-less' crime. Many people online have made comments like, "It was a 77-year-old man with a prostitute -- what's the big deal?"
Tricia Grant-Gregoire is from Maine and was trafficked in the state when she was just 15 years old. In an interview with NEWS CENTER Maine, she talked about how this high-profile case has brought a lot of attention to a topic that, too many times, people look the other way when they hear about it.
"With trafficking, people are all on high alert about it and all upset about it. When it comes to prostitution, people don't understand that people who are living that life often times are being victimized over and over again.Sometimes people are there against their will. They are there because they have no other options.
"When people are coming in to purchase sex from people, they are not given a menu. Nothing that says this person is this age or that age -- they're not showing their birth certificates. When you're going into purchase sex from somebody, you don't know what you are getting. You have no idea what that person's story is, if that person is there against their will. Or because they want to be.
"They used my son against me and told me if I did not do what they told me, they were going to take him away from me. Nobody asked. Not one of the people who came to purchase me ever asked how old I was. Or if I wanted to be there. Or if I needed help. Not one. They got what they wanted and they left," said Grant-Gregoire.
She added that one way to help slow down and stop sex trafficking would be to punish the 'buyers' more severely. The theory being, if there is less demand, there would be less need for supply.