‘I am truly sorry’: Robert Kraft apologizes after charges of soliciting prostitution

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft apologized on Saturday in his first public statement since he was charged for soliciting prostitution in Florida last month.“I am truly sorry,” Kraft said in a statement. “I know I have hurt and disappointed my family, my close friends, my co-workers, our fans and many others who rightfully hold me to a higher standard.”READ MORE: Democrats urge FBI to probe Trump donor who owned spa allegedly linked to human traffickingThe 77-year-old billionaire businessman, who according to police was captured on video engaging in sex acts with a worker at a massage parlor in Jupiter, Florida, said he had remained silent “in deference to the judicial process.“I have extraordinary respect for women; my morals and my soul were shaped by the most wonderful woman, the love of my life, who I was blessed to have as my partner for 50 years,” Kraft said in the statement, apparently referring to his late wife Myra Hiatt Kraft, who died in 2011 of ovarian cancer.WATCH: 25 people charged with soliciting prostitution in Jupiter, Florida

3:43 25 people charged with soliciting prostitution in Jupiter, Florida

Kraft, who built the Super Bowl-winning Patriots into the National Football League’s most dominant franchise, was swept up in a police sting targeting sex-trafficking in day spas and massage parlors in several Florida counties.Kraft, who lives in Massachusetts but owns property in Palm Beach, Florida, is accused of visiting Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter on two separate occasions to solicit sex.READ MORE: Donald Trump watched Super Bowl with ex-owner of spa linked to Robert Kraft arrestThe two charges he faces are misdemeanors.On Friday, Kraft’s lawyer William Burck told sports network ESPN that “there was no human trafficking” in the case involving the Patriots’ owner and that law enforcement should investigate how the evidence was obtained.WATCH: Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft facing 2 counts of soliciting prostitution