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Teacher Among 13 Arrested In Polk Prostitution Sting

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 19, 2008

The Polk County Sheriff's Office used the Web site Craigslist to set up a prostitution sting that netted 13 arrests including a Hillsborough County middle school teacher.

The sting targeted men who used the site to look for sex and was run out of a house in Winter Haven. The operation ran Thursday through Saturday.

Among those arrested was Richard Kemper of Lithia, who was charged with soliciting and battery.
The sheriff's office said Kemper offered the undercover detective $150 for sex. He was arrested on Friday.

Kemper has been a teacher at Randall Middle School for about 3 1/2 years, Hillsborough County school spokesman Steve Hegarty said.

In similar cases, teachers are told not to report to work and suspended with pay until the school board takes action, Hegarty said. Only the school board can suspend a teacher without pay.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said his office has used Craigslist before in prostitution stings. The ad listed the Winter Haven address and the men went to the house seeking sex from a female undercover officer.

Two men came to the house but changed their minds and left without going inside. They were not arrested, Judd said.

Craigslist is a Web site that lists classified advertisements in more than 550 cities and 50 countries, according to the site.

In addition to Kemper, those arrested and charged with soliciting prostitution were: George Gressett, 74 of Poinciana; John Renna, 44, of Lakeland; Mark Graffrath, 45, of Lakeland;
Bradley Lowe, 37, of Winter Haven; Thomas Castle, 50, of Riverview; Anthony Harvard, 52, of Winter Haven; Gregory Polk, 33, of Apopka; Kerrty Saruwatari, 44, of Lakeland; Richard Kronz, 42, of Davenport; Terry Lipply, 45, of Lakeland; Gerald Chrethien, 56, of Plant City; and Randy Whitfield, 42, of Lakeland.

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