Man pleads guilty to prostitution charge related to fraud
A Farmersville man who pretended to be a healthcare provider in a fake medical program has pleaded guilty to compelling prostitution by fraud, according to court documents.
Anthony Jordan Benedict, 34, was to go to trial Monday, but he entered a guilty plea Friday in 30th District Court, according to court documents.
More: Farmersville man indicted on prostitution charge
A sentencing hearing for Benedict is set for June 24 before 30th District Judge Jeff McKnight, court records show.
Benedict was free Monday from the Wichita County Law Enforcement Center on a $40,000 bond, according to online jail records.
He pleaded guilty to a Nov. 5, 2019, incident in which he told a woman that she could make money by taking part in training for medical students, according to court documents.
He went to the woman's home in Wichita County and did an "exam" that included touching her breast, and he paid her $50 for participating, according to court records.
A Texas Ranger conducted a probe in early 2020 after the Clay County Sheriff's Office requested assistance in investigating a possible sexual assault, according to allegations in court documents.
A woman told the Sheriff's Office she went to Benedict's Clay County home Jan. 29, 2020, and he told her she would be paid to take part in a medical program, according to allegations in court documents.
More: WCSO: Fake medical exams lead to sex charges
The woman reported he had her disrobe, did an "exam" and paid her $100 afterward, according to allegations in court records.
The woman did some research and questioned Benedict about the legitimacy of this so-called medical program before making a report to the Sheriff's Office, according to allegations in court documents.
In an interview with the Ranger, Benedict admitted there was no such program and that he had a "kink" involving using the fake medical program to obtain victims, according to allegations in court documents.
Trish Choate, enterprise watchdog reporter for the Times Record News, covers education, courts, breaking news, politics and more. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Her Twitter handle is @Trishapedia.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Anthony Benedict pleads guilty to compelling prostitution
