BSO Deputy Arrested In Prostitution Sting Conducted By His Own Department
POMPANO BEACH (CBS4) - A Broward Sheriff's Office deputy was arrested Wednesday after unknowingly stepping right into an undercover prostitution sting.
Christian Benenati, 40, was arrested and charged with Soliciting Another for Lewdness.
According to the arrest affidavit, an off-duty Benenati approached a female officer working undercover as a prostitute on the 1200 block of NW 31 Avenue in Pompano Beach and solicited her for oral sex. In exchange, he offered her $20.
Police say the undercover officer agreed to the deal and told Benenati to park his car and follow her to a nearby hotel, which was under surveillance by BSO deputies.
Benenati reportedly declined the room, allegedly saying he preferred the car.
Nearby officers signaled to the undercover that the deal was complete, and Benenati was subsequently arrested.
According to the South Florida Times, the department that set up the countywide sting was the one Benenati works for, and he was nabbed on the street he patrols.
He has been released on $300 bond. He has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation.