FRANKLIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Controversial Franklin mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson, responding to questions raised by NewsChannel 5, posted a video Tuesday night in which she admitted to an arrest in Dallas in the mid-90s for promoting prostitution.
"I was shocked, I was devastated. Everything I worked for for 13 years was about to come true. It should have been the happiest, most exciting time of my life, and it ended up being the absolute lowest," Hanson said. "That was definitely not who I was, but I was definitely in the middle of all of it."
Hanson, who has been running a morality campaign that opposes LGBTQA activities such as Pride Fest, posted the video about seven hours after NewsChannel 5 Investigates texted her with details of a criminal history that appeared to be linked to her.
In the video, the Franklin alderman claims she was trying to finish up college at Southern Methodist University when she took a job answering phones for what she thought was a modeling and casting agency.
"I answered the phone, I took a name, I took a number and a date," Hanson says. "At the end of my work session, I would call the owners and give them that information."
She claims she had no idea it was an escort service until police came calling.
As a result, Hanson says, she agreed to take a plea for a single charge under a "deferred adjudication," which allows first-time offenders to avoid convictions.
"My punishment for the deferred adjudication was 'do not live in Dallas for two years,' because they knew I was leaving. I said, 'No problem, because I don't ever want to live in Dallas again after this experience'," Hanson said.
That's when she says she moved to Chicago.
NewsChannel 5 Investigates continues to review the evidence and Hanson's claims.
This follows a controversy that began when Hanson posted a social media image of a group of women who she said were supporting her campaign. But, when NewsChannel 5 tracked down the women, they denied knowing her.
She later claimed that they denied knowing her to protect her.
There are also questions about where she and her husband really live.
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