UPDATE: WXYZ.com has obtained the booking photo of the woman Troy police say was paid $150 for sex by the husband of U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
Alycia Martin, 20, of Westland has been charged with prostitution in connection with the Feb. 26 bust involving Thomas Athans. She was arraigned March 12 in Troy District Court and returns for a pretrial hearing April 22.
WATCH ACTION NEWS COVERAGE IN VIDEO PLAYER RIGHTTROY, Mich. (AP) — The husband of Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow told authorities that he used the Internet to arrange a $150 sexual tryst with a prostitute at a metropolitan Detroit hotel, police said.
Thomas Athans, 46, co-founder of the liberal TalkUSA Radio network, was stopped by police who were investigating Internet-based prostitution at the hotel, according to a police report obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press under the state Freedom of Information Act.
Athans, in a statement issued by his attorney, apologized and said he "fully cooperated with law enforcement. My family and I are dealing with this matter in a personal and private way."
Stabenow, in an interview with The Associated Press, said she wanted "folks to know that I'm grateful for their prayers and support and this is a family matter that is very difficult but we are going to work through it."
"I think it's important to continue to do my job and to focus on people in Michigan who are hurting every day and expect that I'm going to fight for them every day," she said.
Athans' involvement with a prostitute brought comparisons to the downfall of New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who resigned last month after allegations he spent thousands of dollars on a call girl at a swanky Washington hotel on the night before Valentine's Day.
The case was referenced by conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh on Wednesday when a Michigan caller asked how he could support "Operation Chaos," Limbaugh's campaign to disrupt the Democratic presidential campaign.
"You know, the husband of Debbie Stabenow's been caught buying a prostitute for 150 bucks, have you heard that?" Limbaugh said. "Athans, Zathan, whatever — the guy running liberal talk radio. ... There might be an opportunity here for Chaos in Michigan on that regard."
The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News first reported on the case in stories on their Web sites Wednesday.
Stabenow was scheduled to attend a news conference Wednesday morning with University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman but did not appear. The Democrat later spoke on the Senate floor about legislation to address the sluggish housing market but did not reference the news reports about her husband.
Troy police had set up a stakeout at the Residence Inn after learning of suspected prostitution at a room there Feb. 25, the police report said. Officers said they saw Athans enter the room Feb. 26 and leave 15 minutes later.
They stopped Athans' car and informed him they were investigating prostitution.
"Mr. Athans informed officers that he had just met a female at the Residence Inn, where he paid $150 for sex," the report said. It said the woman performed oral sex on Athans.
Athans told police he responded to an ad on CraigsList. The police report included a backpage.com ad for "Kasey," who was later identified as Alycia Martin, which said she was looking for "a nice gentlemen that love's the company of a real lady." She listed her rates as $100 for 15 minutes, $160 for half an hour and $225 for an hour. Martin told police that the Web posting and room rental had been arranged by someone else but would not identify who, the police report said.
Police did not bring any sex charges against Athans but later mailed him a ticket for driving with a suspended license.
Athans' license was suspended last year for failure to pay a ticket for driving without proof of insurance, according to the Michigan Department of State. Court records show he paid a $115 fine, and the state restored his license March 11.
Athans was cooperative and "didn't drop any names or ask for preferential treatment," said department spokesman Lt. Gerry Scherlinck.
Police arrested Martin, 20, of Westland in the hotel room on a charge of prostitution and confiscated a cell phone, laptop and $431. There is no telephone listing for her in Westland.
Martin was freed on a $100 cash bond. She was arraigned March 12 in Troy District Court and returns for a pretrial hearing April 22. She did not have an attorney of record on Wednesday.
Stabenow and Athans married in February 2003. Athans, an Air Force veteran, worked as an aide in Stabenow's Detroit office prior to their engagement and marriage and also worked for Rep. Dale Kildee, D-Mich.
Athans was a member of the Oxford Village City Council in Oakland County from 1996 to 2002 and served as the village's president from 2001-2002.
He started TalkUSA Radio in 2006 after leading programming at Air America, the liberal network that declared bankruptcy that year.
Stabenow, 57, has two adult children from her first marriage to Dennis Stabenow. The couple divorced in 1990.
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Associated Press writers David N. Goodman and Corey Williams in Detroit and Ken Thomas in Washington contributed to this report.
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