SPRINGFIELD (AP) - The husband of a former Springfield elementary school teacher has pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution, in a case in which his wife is also charged.
The Springfield News-Leader reports 43-year-old Mark Fiedler entered the plea Thursday to second-degree promotion of prostitution, punishable by up to seven years in prison. Sentencing in Greene County Circuit Court is scheduled for Nov. 14.
His wife, Laura Fiedler, has pleaded not guilty to a lower level of the same charge. She faces a pretrial conference next week.
A sting operation by Springfield police led to charges that the couple were arranging meetings in a downtown office building between alleged prostitutes and people responding to online ads.
The Fiedlers had contended they thought they were scheduling legitimate massages.