Doctor 'gathering information' when busted

WORCESTER, Mass., Nov. 13 (UPI) -- A Worcester, Mass., doctor claims he was just "gathering information" when he was arrested and accused of soliciting prostitution from an undercover officer.

Dr. Peter Rice, a University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center doctor specializing in infectious diseases and a professor at the college, said he was gathering information for research on sexually transmitted diseases at the time of his arrest, the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette reported Tuesday.

Police reports state that Rice pulled his car up beside the undercover officer Saturday and offered to pay $40 to the woman in exchange for sex.

"Probable cause was established for the arrest as soon as the offer to engage in sex for a fee occurred," said police Capt. Paul Saucier, commander of the vice and gang units.

Data from the state Board of Registration shows Rice has more than 145 professional publications on the subjects of infectious diseases and sexually transmitted diseases.