Guilty Plea Entered in Scholarships-for-Sex Case

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A former financial aid director has pleaded guilty to charges related to offering students college foundation money in exchange for sex.

The Spokesman-Review reports 37-year-old Joseph Bekken pleaded guilty Thursday, saying in court that he misused public money and used a computer in a scheme to defraud. The plea agreement dropped three felonies, including attempting to procure a prostitute. Bekken will be sentenced Oct. 19. He faces up to 7 1/2 years in prison and a fine as high as $52,500.

Police created a fake student account on Craigslist and responded to an ad Bekken posted, setting up a Feb. 2 meeting. Bekken took $587 from the Idaho College Foundation for the encounter, and was arrested and fired the same day. Bekken's attorney was unavailable for comment.