Pimped-Out: 'Union Leader' Sportswriter Arrested on Prostitution-Related Charges

By: E&P Staff A veteran sportswriter for the Union Leader of Manchester, N.H., faces two felony charges of deriving income from prostitution.

Kevin Provencher, 50, was arrested at his Manchester home early Wednesday morning by local police who executed a search warrant, the Union Leader reported Wednesday. He waived extradition at a hearing in Manchester District Court, and was escorted to Massachusetts, where he will face the felony charges filed by Andover Police.

According to reports the Union Leader filed online early Wednesday evening, police claim that Provencher used Web sites, including Craigslist, to recruit women for prostitution. After "auditioning" them at a Manchester hotel, they would work at various hotels, initially in the area of Quincy, Mass. Authorities also claim Provencher allegedly moved the operation to Andover after one of the women complained about the long drive between Manchester and Quincy.

Andover police told the paper that they had been investigating allegations of a prostitution ring in a local hotel since February, and set up a sting on June 11. They observed several men coming and going from a room, and heard "activities consistent with sexual intercourse." When confronted, the men agreed to co-operate with the investigation. Police also stated that two of the women Provencher recruited will be witnesses.

If convicted, Provencher faces a prison term of five years and a fine of $5,000 for each charge.

A Manchester native and graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Provencher has been a full-time sports reporter at the Union Leader since 1986. He has been the paper's primary motor sports reporter since 1990, and has been the beat reporter for the Manchester Monarchs, a minor-league hockey team, since the franchise's inception in 2001. He has won four New Hampshire Sportswriter of the Year awards from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association.

The Union Leader issued a statement that said: "Mr. Provencher has been a valued employee for many years. He is innocent until proven guilty. However, given the nature and seriousness of the charges, he is suspended until further notice."