A top Pentagon official has been arrested for allegedly paying an undercover agent for sex in a motel room – before claiming to cops he was only there for a massage.
Moment Hovanic was busted in the motel
Stephen Hovanic, 64, of Sharpsburg, Georgia, entered the room with the woman, placed his sunglasses next to a condom and asked her if they could ‘do a half hour,’ before cops barged through the door.
Video released by the Coweta County sheriff’s office revealed the moment Hovanic was busted in the motel on November 15 – in the joint sting with the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation unit.
Hovanic was charged with pandering, which is misdemeanor solicitation of sex.
He worked for the Department of Defense Education Activity for over two decades – and was in charge of the schools educating children of US military servicemen and women on bases across the world.
Who is Stephen Hovanic?
For the last 13 years, Hovanic was also a chief of staff for Department of Defense schools in the US.
Hovanic’s interaction with the woman – including giving her money – was captured on video.
How he was caught in the act
He can be heard introducing himself to the undercover cop, shaking ‘Katie’s’ hand and saying: ‘Nice to meet you. You’re beautiful.
‘I told you I would shower before I got here.’
The video then reveals Hovanic telling the woman: ‘Can we do a half-hour?’
The agent tells him she does not ‘play before he pays,’ meaning he would have to give her money before any activity began. He says: ‘I understand. That’s fair.’
Hovanic then hands her cash, before she moves into another part of the motel room. Soon after, two police officers rush into the room and handcuff him.
He shouts out that he was only there to get a massage – which deputies have since said they doubt.
Human trafficking crimes
The two-day operation also resulted in the rescue of six human trafficking victims, whose names were not released, Haralson County’s sheriff said.
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In total, the sting led to 26 arrests, including eight prostitution arrests.
The charges included prostitution, pandering, and pimping.
Three individuals are currently under investigation for human trafficking and drug charges.
One agent told FOX 5: ‘This kind of operation is really important to us, because, number one, sex buyers are a huge problem in the industry.
‘Without sex buyers, there wouldn’t be a market for the females to continue to be victimized.’
