Spoto High coach suspended after prostitution solicitation arrest

TAMPA — Arrested on charges of soliciting prostitution, the man told police he was a TV repairman.

He didn't mention that he was also a teacher and coach with Hillsborough County schools.

Now Larry D. Benton has been suspended without pay from his full-time job at Spoto High School, where he taught driver's education and coached baseball before his June 26 arrest, district officials said Wednesday. He will remain suspended until the charges are resolved.

Benton, 50, was arrested at 11:54 p.m. in the 6500 block of N Nebraska Avenue after offering an undercover officer $40 for sex, said Tampa police spokeswoman Darla Portman. He was released on $250 bail after he was booked at the Orient Road Jail.

He said nothing about working at Spoto High, she said. Instead, he told police he worked at Arley's TV as a technician.

But that wasn't quite true, said owner Arley Benton, his father.

"He's not an employee," he said. "He worked for me awhile. I guess he was trying to keep it out of the school system."

Arley Benton said that he was heartbroken about his son's arrest but that no one is perfect.

"Everyone makes mistakes," he said. "For everyone there's always a temptation. You've just got to be strong enough to withstand it."

Tom Marshall can be reached at tmarshall@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3400.