Page 16 - MIN JUS 20 AUG 2015
P. 16
U.S. NEWS A3
Thursday 20 August 2015
Fogle to plead guilty to sex acts with minors, child porn
RICK CALLAHAN Former pitchman Jared Fogle leaves the Federal Courthouse in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Aug. lege student, in part by
Associated Press 19, 2015 following a hearing on child-pornography charges. Fogle agreed to plead guilty to al- eating the chain’s sand-
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — legations that he paid for sex acts with minors and received child pornography in a case that wiches. He was the public
Longtime pitchman Jared destroyed his career at the sandwich-shop chain and could send him to prison for more than a face of the company for
Fogle agreed Wednesday decade. more than 15 years — a
to plead guilty to allega- period in which its number
tions that he paid for sex (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) of locations tripled, making
acts with minors and re- Subway the world’s largest
ceived child pornography pornography. The agree- and Fogle could get a lon- elaborate. restaurant chain.
in a case that destroyed his ment released by prosecu- ger sentence. The child- As Fogle left the court- Subway suspended the
career at a sandwich-shop tors said Fogle will pay $1.4 porn charge carries a maxi- house, several people partnership in July after
chain and could send him million in restitution to 14 mi- mum penalty of 20 years in jeered him amid a throng agents raided his home
to prison for more than a nor victims, who will each prison. The count involving of TV cameras, onlookers in the affluent Indianapo-
decade. receive $100,000. He will sex with a minor is punish- and protesters. lis suburb of Zionsville, and
Prosecutors alleged that also be required to register able by up to 30 years. One man shouted, “Hey, the chain said this week
Fogle knew the pornog- as a sex offender and un- Fogle “knows that restitu- Jared, leave those kids that it had ended its rela-
raphy had been secretly dergo treatment for sexual tion can’t undo the dam- alone.” Others waved signs tionship with Fogle. Federal
produced by the former disorders. The government age that he’s done, but he accusing authorities of go- prosecutors alleged in the
director of his charitable agreed not to seek a sen- will do all in his power to try ing light on Fogle while giv- documents that Fogle trav-
foundation, which sought tence of more than 12½ to make it right,” defense ing many minorities rougher eled to pay for sex acts,
to raise awareness about years in prison, and Fogle attorney Jeremy Margolis treatment. including with minors, from
childhood obesity and ar- agreed not to ask for less told reporters. Fogle, 37, whose wife filed 2007 until as recently as
ranged for Fogle to visit than five years, according The married father of two, for divorce Wednesday, June and that he repeat-
schools and urge children to court documents. he added, has a “medical became Subway’s pitch- edly planned business trips
to adopt healthy eating Federal judges have wide problem” and “expects to man after shedding more to coincide with his sexual
and exercise habits. discretion in sentencing, get well,” but he did not than 200 pounds as a col- pursuits. The court docu-
Authorities said Fogle of- ment detailing the charges
fered to pay adult prosti- against Fogle states that
tutes a finder’s fee if they he paid for sex at New York
could connect him with mi- City hotels with two girls un-
nors for sex acts, including der age 18 — one of whom
some as young as 14 or 15 was 17. But the plea agree-
years old. ment refers to the two girls
“This is about using wealth, as being 16, and that one
status and secrecy to ille- of them also had sex with
gally exploit children,” U.S. Fogle after she turned 17.
Attorney Josh Minkler said. Federal prosecutors could
A tight-lipped Fogle sat not explain the discrepan-
in federal court with his cy between the two docu-
hands clasped and quietly ments. One of the girls told
answered “no” when the investigators she had sex
judge asked whether he with Fogle three times in
had any questions about November 2012 and again
his rights. He is expected two months later, in Janu-
to enter the formal plea at ary. After their first meeting,
a later date to one count Fogle allegedly texted the
each of travelling to en- girl and offered to pay her
gage in illicit sexual con- a fee if she could find him
duct with a minor and distri- another underage girl to
bution and receipt of child pay for sex acts.q
