Police officer facing charges after soliciting a prostitute, cops say

A police officer is now facing charges and is under investigation after he was observed picking up a prostitute.

An undercover officer was conducting a prostitution investigation Friday when the officer observed officer Reginald Mitchell picking up a known prostitute in his personal vehicle on his day off, according to a news release from the St. Petersburg Police Department.

The incident occurred just after after 8 a.m. in the 1300 block of 34th Street North, according to police.

He is now facing a charge of soliciting a prostitute, a misdemeanor, and was given notice to appear in court, according to the release.

In addition to the criminal charge, Mitchell is under an internal investigation through the Office of Professional Standards and has been placed on administrative duty pending the investigation’s outcome, according to police. He has been with the St. Petersburg Police Department for 22 years.

Mitchell, 46, had a “crystal-clear record” prior to the incident, according to FOX 13. The only negative in his file was when he lost a USB flash drive.

The sex worker faces a felony charge because she has been arrested on prostitution charges before, according to FOX 13.

“He’s well-liked. He’s one of our recruiters, so he sets an example for us,” St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway told FOX 13. “It’s very tough when you stop one of your own and you find out he’s breaking the law, but I give the officers credit for it because they could have just let it go away, but they took action, right then and there.”

This story was originally published June 30, 2017 at 9:49 PM with the headline "Police officer facing charges after soliciting a prostitute, cops say."