Criminal law, Society

Leading Republican Indiana Legislator Refuses To Resign After Arranging Meeting With Alleged Male Prostitute on Craigslist

State Rep. Phil Hinkle , R-Indianapolis, is in a rather curious position. He admits that he paid a young man $80 to come to his hotel room for a good time but insists that he is neither gay nor guilty of any criminal act. He has refused to resign after being stripped of his committee chairmanships. Hinkle is viewed as an anti-homosexual legislator and has been outspoken in his opposition to same-sex marriage.

Hinkle admits that he contacted Kameryn Gibson, 18, through Craigslist to join him in Room 2610 at the JW Marriott hotel. He admits that he picked him up in his car and took him to the hotel after paying him.

Gibson says that when he tried to leave the room, Hinkle identified himself as a legislator and would not let him leave. He alleges that Hinkle then gave him and his sister $100, an iPad, and a Blackberry to keep quiet. He says that Hinkle exposed himself and became threatening to keep him in the room. Both Hinkle and Gibson agree money exchanged hands but that they never had sex.

The speaker and other leaders have called for Hinkle to resign.

Hinkle does admit that “I was on the road to self-destruction and I don’t know why.” Nevertheless, he insists that his actions were “stupid, but not illegal” and “I say that emphatically, I’m not gay.” Both Hinkle and Kameryn Gibson say that money exchanged hands but that neither engaged in a sex act.

Hinkle says that Gibson disappeared with this property and that when Hinkle spoke with his sister, she tried to extort money. What I find quite astonishing is that Hinkle then had his daughter meet with Megan Gibson and retrieve his BlackBerry as well as his business card holder and state identification.

Among the legislative achievements that Hinkle puts on his website is his critical role in producing the state’s “In God We Trust” license plates. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Indianapolis YMCA.

Now, here’s the interesting twist. Both parties admit that there was no sex but was this solicitation? It sounds like solicitation to me, though it never resulted in any actual prostitution.

Here is the Indiana code:

IC 35-45-4-3
Patronizing a prostitute
Sec. 3. A person who knowingly or intentionally pays, or offers or agrees to pay, money or other property to another person:
(1) for having engaged in, or on the understanding that the other

person will engage in, sexual intercourse or deviate sexual conduct with the person or with any other person; or
(2) for having fondled, or on the understanding that the other person will fondle, the genitals of the person or any other person;
commits patronizing a prostitute, a Class A misdemeanor. However, the offense is a Class D felony if the person has two (2) prior convictions under this section.
As added by Acts 1976, P.L.148, SEC.5. Amended by Acts 1977, P.L.340, SEC.78; Acts 1979, P.L.301, SEC.2; P.L.310-1983, SEC.4.

Hinkle says they just talked sports and the view from the hotel. The young man insists the conversation was a bit more than sports. Even if one accepts Hinkle’s account on the property, should a legislator still resign in such a circumstance?

Source: Indy Star

31 thoughts on “Leading Republican Indiana Legislator Refuses To Resign After Arranging Meeting With Alleged Male Prostitute on Craigslist”

  2. He may be in good company:

    Maybe there is a point to which people will abide by the things created by political caste….

    AP-GfK Poll: 87% in US disapprove of Congress

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans are plenty angry at Congress in the aftermath of the debt crisis and Republicans could pay the greatest price, a new Associated Press-GfK poll suggests.
    The poll finds the tea party has lost support, Republican House Speaker John Boehner is increasingly unpopular and people are warming to the idea of not just cutting spending but also raising taxes — anathema to the GOP — just as both parties prepare for another struggle with deficit reduction.
    To be sure, there is plenty of discontent to go around. The poll finds more people are down on their own member of Congress, not just the institution, an unusual finding in surveys and one bound to make incumbents particularly nervous. In interviews, some people said the debt standoff itself, which caused a crisis of confidence to ripple through world markets, made them wonder whether lawmakers are able to govern at all.

    http://news.yahoo.com/ap-gfk-poll-87-us-disapprove-congress-195659914.html

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  5. If convicted of a crime he should resign and it seems that there is some evidence of a crime under State law. However, the law itself is flawed, though this turkey would support it no doubt. If not prosecuted or convicted he should remain in office and let the voters decide. It certainly would be fair game for anyone running against him in the future to remind voters of this.

  6. Another ‘do as I say, not as i do’ hypocrite of the highest order. Seems the more someone tells you what a good christian they are, the less they act but here’s proof again, ‘actions speak loouder than words.’

  8. Resign? Absolutely not. Hinckle should be running for president on the GOP ticket. He makes just as much sense, is every bit as qualified, and is equally honest as the current GOP slate.

  10. No, he shouldn’t be made to resign. Even if he did hire a prostitute, sex or not. Yes it is illegal, yes it is immoral, but you know what? People are weak & often fail at even the basic stuff. You wouldn’t fire a factory worker or an accountant simply for associating with prostitutes and there is no reason politicians should be different.

    He should, however, WANT to resign because of the hypocrisy of his politics. He should be reminded every time he supports any of these modern blue laws that make the mouth breathers show up at the polls (Hi, Tootie!) He should certainly have his hypocrisy noted as appropriate. The shame and guilt should make him want to resign but he should not be ‘forced’ to resign.

  18. Of course he should resign but he won’t because the only other job he’s held, outside of suckin’ up tax payer’s dollars as a politician, was as a real estate associate (according to his web site). Not much money for a real estate associate right now.

    So he’ll stay on … hopefully he’ll be voted out of office when this 2 year term is up. Then he’ll actually have to work for a living … or not.

  20. Of course he’s against gay marriage… If he got married, he couldn’t play the field like he is now!

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