A University of Alabama vice president stepped down after he and other men were busted in a prostitution sting.

Tuscaloosa police spokesperson Stephanie Taylor said Myron Pope, 50, was arrested last week by West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force members on a misdemeanor charge of soliciting prostitution.

Pope and the 14 other men arranged to meet and pay for sex online. NBC News reports that they were arrested "after arriving at the agreed-upon location and speaking with an undercover officer."  

Although their names and ages were not publicly available, the suspects were all charged with soliciting prostitution. In addition, some face additional felony charges. Capt. Phil Simpson, the task force commander, said he hopes the operations to target those involved in sex trafficking show how seriously the government takes this issue.

"If buyers were not seeking commercial sexual services, sex trafficking would no longer be profitable," Capt. Simpson said. "We hope these operations targeting buyers show that we take this very seriously. Our goal is to prevent future exploitation of human trafficking victims who are forced or coerced into prostitution."

Pope was released on a $1,000 bond and resigned from his position on Friday. 

Pope accepted his position as vice president for student life in May 2020 and had been a walk-on member of the Crimson Tide's 1992 national championship football team. 

Stuart R. Bell, President of the University of Alabama, stated that they understand the difficulty the incident has caused in the school's community. And therefore, he will appoint an interim for the position.

"We understand this news will be difficult for our community," Bell said. "I will appoint an interim Vice President of Student Life, and that person, along with the many professionals in the division, will remain available to all of us. Please continue to take care of yourselves and one another."

Pope faces a misdemeanor charge for soliciting prostitution.

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