Police Recruiter Caught With Prostitute: Cops

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A St. Petersburg Police officer faces misdemeanor charges and is out on administrative leave after he was allegedly caught soliciting a known prostitute on Friday morning.

According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, officers were conducting a prostitution operation around 8 a.m. June 30 when they spotted one of their own in the 1300 block of 34th Street North. Officer Reginald Mitchell, 46, was seen “picking up a known prostitute in his personal vehicle on his day off,” the agency wrote in an email to media.

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Mitchell was given a notice to appear in court on a misdemeanor solicitation charge. He was not booked into the Pinellas County Jail as a result.

The agency has also kicked off an internal investigation into the alleged incident. Mitchell has been placed on administrative duty pending its outcome.

The woman police say Mitchell picked up is Amanda McLaughlin, 32. She faces a felony prostitution charge because of prior convictions, the email noted. Her case, however, is being referred to the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office for review.

Mitchell has been a St. Petersburg Police Officer since September 1995. His most recent post involves recruiting for the agency.

No further information is being released at this time.

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