SerpApi.Org
Rochester, N.Y. — A former Webster police chief pleaded not guilty Wednesday morning to a prostitution charge.
The Rochester Police Department said Gerald Pickering, 68, of Victor was one of six people arrested in a prostitution sting conducted July 9 in the Lyell Avenue corridor.
BACKGROUND: 6 charged in Rochester prostitution detail, appears to include former Webster police chief
According to the criminal complaint, Pickering was at Burger King on Lyell Avenue around 2:30 p.m. when he made a $20 deal with an undercover officer posing as a prostitute to perform a sex act.
Pickering, who led the Webster Police Department from 2001-2015 before becoming deputy director of public safety at the University of Rochester, was charged with third-degree patronizing a person for prostitution, a misdemeanor.
He apologized for the incident in an email sent to 13WHAM July 10.
Pickering was released following Wednesday's plea hearing. His attorney declined further comment. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 3.
