Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle accepted a plea deal Wednesday that will send him to prison for at least five years, after he was charged with “travel to engage in elicit sexual conduct with minors.”
Fogle was expected to plead guilty to possessing child pornography, but a case that was put together by the federal government shows his alleged conduct was much more serious, and includes detailed descriptions of how Fogle intentionally sought to pay for sex with minor children.
According to the complaint, which was obtained by TMZ, Jared traveled for sex with at least two minors, between 2007 and June of this year. He also allegedly sent text messages to prostitutes and requested access to minors, aged 14 or 15.
Fogle is accused of inappropriately corresponding with more than a dozen minor victims. In November 2012, while staying at the Plaza Hotel in New York City, Fogle allegedly paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl. The following day he texted the girl, saying he would accept a 16-year-old girl for sex, while also writing, “the younger the girl, the better.”
Fogle requested nude photos from his victims, and photos and videos found during a federal investigation were of both boys and girls.
Russell Taylor, who had served as the executive director of Jared’s foundation, before his April 29 arrest, was allegedly instrumental in helping Fogle obtain sexually explicit images of children, who were often filmed using hidden cameras in Taylor’s home.
Some of those children are believed to be as young as six years old.
Fogle has reportedly agreed to serve at least 5 years in prison, but no more than 12.5, and must pay restitution totaling $1.4 million, or $100,000 per victim.
The former pitchman must also register as a sex offender after his release, and will be barred from possessing “obscene materials,” or spending unsupervised time with minors, and will participate in a sexual disorders program, and his computers will be searched at random.
On August 1, text messages were released, wherein Fogle allegedly bragged about having “amazing” sex with a 16-year-old girl to a colleague. Fogle also allegedly offered to pay $500 per sex act to a former Subway franchisee, if she would agree to let him watch sexual encounters with people she met on Craigslist.
Fogle had been a major spokesman for the restaurant chain for more than 15 years, but the company officially cut ties with him Tuesday.