Spoto’s Benton arrested on prostitution charge

Posted Jun 29, 2009 by Adam Adkins

Updated Jun 29, 2009 at 08:52 PM

Spoto baseball coach Larry Benton was arrested Saturday on a misdemeanor charge of soliciting another to commit prostitution, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office charge report.

Benton, 50, was arrested at 6500 N. Nebraska Ave. He was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail at 2:39 a.m. on Saturday and released later that morning after posting $250 bond.

Benton has been Spoto’s baseball coach since the program started in 2007. A 1977 King High grad, Benton also has had coaching stints at Tampa Bay Tech and Leto.

During the 2009 season, Benton was suspended from coaching duties while school administrators investigated three undisclosed incidents. Spoto principal Clyde Trathowen reinstated Benton within a week after the investigation revealed no wrongdoing on Benton’s part. Benton missed just one game with the Spartans, who finished 13-11 for their first winning season.