ONLY ON FOX - music minister explains his arrest in prostitution case

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Russell Louis Forrest, a master barber and minister of music at a Houston-area church, wanted to explain why he was arrested by investigators on Wednesday for solicitation of a prostitute. That prostitute was an undercover officer.

"I just got through praying and my intention wasn't to go looking for a prostitute," says Forrest. "I was going to get something to eat for my lunch time." 

Forrest's barber shop is on Huffmeister Road near the area where the undercover operation took place. He says that's where he was approached by the female we now know was an undercover officer.  Forrest, 33, says the conversation made an abrupt turn to sex.

Forrest admits he asked the woman to come to the barber shop to talk. He also says they talked about $50 for sex after the officer brought it up. In addition, Forrest says he even joked about having two condoms after the female investigator asked if he had any on him. But the minister of music and barber doesn't quite understand what he did wrong since he never gave money or had sex.

"I feel it was entrapment," says Forrest. :It was to the point where you're trying to force me to say something now that I really don't want to say."

Solicitation under the law is the agreement between two people with an intent to have sex for a fee. While Forrest, a father and husband, says he never intended to have sex, he feels the law is unfair. He maintains that he did nothing wrong and it was the officer who pushed.

Forrest says he has a public defender and plans to fight the charges in court.