There is a video in the link of the story.
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?se...cal&id=7304460
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- It was a Houston police officer's word against a woman he had accused of being a prostitute. But now, after a recording she had taken surfaced, it is the officer who finds himself in serious legal trouble. What investigators heard during that recording lead them to drop charges against the woman and file new charges against the officer.
Houston Police Officer Samuel Roccaforte, a 28 year veteran of the force, turned himself in over the weekend, then posted a $2,000 bond on the two counts that were filed. He has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of a criminal investigation.
Sworn to uphold the law, Officer Roccaforte is now accused of breaking it. The 57-year-old HPD vice officer allegedly lied on an offense report so he could arrest and charge 46-year-old Phyllis Stokely with prostitution.
Donna Hawkins with the Harris County District Attorney's Office explained, "The actual terms between the agreement between the officer and the suspect did not rise to the level of a prostitution charge."
According to court documents, Roccaforte wrote in his offense report that Stokely "agreed to engage in sexual intercourse ... in exchange for $200."
,P> Stokely stated Roccaforte first contacted her through an ad she placed on line at backpage.com. It's called "Just Call Kelly." When the two met at her apartment she told investigators "after the male started to ask questions about sex in exchange for money, she believed he was a police officer."
"After telling the male he was wasting his time, she stated the male identified himself as a police officer and arrested her for prostitution," the court documents continued.
But the plot thickens. Stokely had secretly taped the conversation.
"In the tape recording that is not clear at all," Hawkins said. "In fact, the tape recording disputes what the officer put in his report."
According to court documents, Roccaforte could be heard saying, " I will tell you what I want. I'll take an (expletive) or sex with a condom. Can you do that for me?"
Stokely replied, "Sir, like I said, I don't provide that kind of service."
Roccaforte went on, "Well, you did. You know you did, I know you did. There's no audio, there's no video. It's going to be my word against yours and who do you think they're going to believe."
Roccaforte is charged with two counts of tampering with a government record. The case against Stokely was dismissed.
Roccaforte is both disappointed and angry. Despite the recording, his attorney insists Stokely's claims are baseless.
Attorney Chip Lewis said, "He did his job and we think when all the facts come out, a jury or the DA's office will ultimately agree with us that he did do his job that he did not file false report."
Stokley's attorney declined to comment.
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