American Idol runner-up David Archuleta’s father was charged with soliciting a prostitute, RadarOnline.com has learned. James Jeffrey Archuleta got caught up in a January 14 police raid on a massage parlor in Midvale, Utah. He was cited with a Class B misdemeanor, soliciting prostitution. At a subsequent court hearing, Archuleta pled “no contest” and paid a fine of $582.
Archuleta Sr. became famous as the Stage Dad from Hell during his son’s time on American Idol. He was seen chewing out his young son for not performing up to his expectations. Now 18, David finished second to David Cook, and is about to embark on his own tour.
In an exclusive interview with RadarOnline.com, Detective Sgt. John Salazar of the Midvale Police Department explained that the investigation began with a call from a concerned citizen. A doctor who was renting a building for his practice had sublet some of the suites to what he thought was a legitimate massage business. When he noticed that the masseuse “therapists” were arriving in rather scanty outfits, he asked the cops to check it out.
“After determining that no business license had been issued for whatever was going on in there, I sent in an undercover officer to put eyes on,” Det. Sgt. Salazar said. “The next day, five officers, including myself, went in to shut them down.”
At the time of the raid, only one client was there. “He was just finishing up in suite number one. I sent two of the officers in and the male was on his stomach on the table with a masseuse in lace underwear.”
That client was Jeff Archuleta. “We read him his Miranda rights twice. The second time because he said he didn’t understand them the first,” said Salazar. “During the questioning, he said he’d found the place on Craig’s List. He was asked if he’d received any sexual services and he said he had.”
Archuleta was cited and released. He was not subject to a mug shot. The massage parlor never re-opened.
Erik Bauer, the attorney now representing Archuleta now claims this was the one and only time his client had ever been to the massage parlor and he only went for a back problem. Sexual contact, said the attorney, did not occur.
(Photo: WireImage)
