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Woman Recorded Jared Fogle Conversations: ‘Middle Schoolers Are So Hot,’ He Said

By Angelique Johnson
Published on: 23:45 PST, Aug 20, 2015

A Florida woman says she had suspected for years that ex-Subway icon Jared Fogle was interested in sex with minors, so she went to authorities who had her record the conversations.

Rochelle Herman-Walrond, a former journalist, told media outlets that she wore a wire to record conversations of Fogle.

Fogle, who was still working for Subway at the time, was attending a health event at a school in Florida in 2007, when the first off-colored comment was made, says Herman. She says she was covering the event for a local station when Fogle made a random and uncalled-for comment to her.

“He told me that he thought middle school girls were so hot. I was in shock… I actually was questioning, ‘Did I really just hear what I think I heard?’ I looked over at my cameraman… and he was just astounded.”

Wednesday, Fogle agreed to plead guilty to allegations that he paid for sex acts with girls as young as 16-years-old and received child pornography produced by former director of the charitable foundation, Russell Taylor.

Fogle is expected to serve between five and 12 1/2 years in prison due to the plea deal.

Herman says that she saw Fogle many times over the years. She says over time, his comments and admissions became more lewd.

“He talked about sex with underage children. It (sex with minors) was just something that he really, really enjoyed.”

For years after she went to authorities, she worked with the FBI, wearing a wire to record the conversations.

In an interview with CNN’s AC360, Herman said: “He trusted me for unknown reasons. He had said to me numerous times over the course of years about having sex with minors.”

In fact, Fogle became so familiar with Herman that some of the conversations even involved her own children.

“I had two young children at the time, and he talked to me about installing hidden cameras in their rooms and asked me if I would choose which child I would like him to watch.”

Herman told ABC News that she was never sure why Fogle had so much trust in her.

“He would tell me the ages he was interested in, boy or girl. He indicated the fact that he has done it before and told me in gross detail what transpired.”

Although she was horrified by what Fogle was confiding in her, she said she had a role to play and instead focused on gathering enough evidence to have him arrested.

“During the time that I had with the FBI, I had to play a role. I had to play a certain part in order for Jared to be able to trust me and talk further into detail.”

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Indianapolis, Herman’s information was part of the federal investigation into the former Subway icon.

U.S. Attorney’s Office representative, Tim Horty, said authorities also began connecting Fogle to alleged child pornography during their investigation into Russell Taylor.

Taylor is also facing child pornography charges, as authorities say he had images and videos of minors engaging in sexual conduct that he shared with Jared Fogle.

Fogle, 37, will also pay restitution to the 14 victims who were either photographed, videotaped, or who he paid for sex with. Each victim will receive $100,000.

No date has been set for his next court date, where he is to formally enter his plea.

Subway fired Fogle this week.

What do you think of Herman’s heroic actions? Do you think without the recordings, the case against Jared Fogle would be as strong?

[Image via Joey Foley / Getty Images]

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