Fort Collins businessman, pastor charged in sex sting

A prominent Larimer County businessman as well as a Greeley high school teacher and pastor were among the group of men arrested this week in a Fort Collins prostitution sting.

Christopher Westlake, 47, was arrested Wednesday and has been formally charged with soliciting a prostitute. Westlake is vice president of global service at Gerber Scientific Inc. and has been active in fundraising across the county for charities, according to his LinkedIn profile. He said he is "passionate about family and friends and about making a difference" in a separate profile on the United Way of Larimer County's website.

Fort Collins police say he was among eight men who responded Wednesday to a Backpage.com advertisement. Westlake agreed to pay $50 for sexual favors from an escort at a southeast Fort Collins hotel, according to his arrest affidavit. While talking with the escort — who was actually an officer — he described himself as 45 years old and a "big guy."

He responded to the ad, sent a text message to the number when he pulled into the parking lot, went to the hotel door and waited. Police and Westlake exchanged several messages, he stood in front of the door and eventually left when nobody let him in. Police met him in the parking lot and took him into custody.

The other seven men were: Steven Sabel, 39; Paul Reis, 28; Glenn Glaze, 40; Bradley Parker, 31; Honorio Martinez Jr., 34; Lauren Hergert, 49; and John Haffner, 52.

RELATED: Ten arrested in earlier prostitution sting

Haffner is listed as a "student graduation interventionist" at Greeley Central High School and teaches a "life chances" course, a role that he took after serving a 27-year stint in the United States Air Force. The personal message on his district profile is "Conscience is an expensive thing to keep."

He is also listed as a pastor at First United Methodist Church in Pierce, east of Fort Collins.

Haffner on Friday was placed on paid administrative leave Friday, and his contract will not be renewed at the end of the year, the Greeley Tribune reported.

Each of the eight men has been charged with patronizing a prostitute and soliciting — Class 1 and Class 3 misdemeanors, respectively.

This week's effort was the latest by Fort Collins Police Services to identify to what extent prostitution is an issue in the city.

In early April, Fort Collins police arrested 10 men in a prostitution sting, in which officers posed as escorts in online advertisements on sites like Backpage and Craigslist. Officer Annie Hill, who also works with the Colorado Trafficking and Organized Crime Coalition, said that it would be virtually impossible to discern police posts from an actual posting selling sex.

"I don't think that people expect it because there has been little enforcement in recent years," Hill said previously. "Most (johns) are totally cooperative. They know exactly why they're being arrested."

Reporter Jason Pohl covers breaking news and law enforcement for the Coloradoan. Follow him on Twitter: @pohl_jason.