Muhammad Ikhlaq, of New Street, Dudley, was withdrawing $30 from an ATM, when police saw a girl who looked like a known prostitute sitting in his car.
The sex worker was spotted in Wednesbury Road, Walsall, sitting in a Nissan Micra apparently waiting for the driver to return.
As he drove away police followed the 39-year-old security guard into Wallows Lane where he was stopped and arrested on suspicion of soliciting.
During the police interview, Ikhlaq denied the allegations and told police that he had withdrawn the money because he had been trying to find somewhere to buy tomatoes and the alleged hooker was going to show him the best places.
The married man was found guilty of soliciting and ordered to pay a $1,020 fine.
Officer Stacey Paterson, from Walsall police, said: "I've heard some excuses before but in the 10 years that I have been a police officer I have never heard a kerb crawler covering up his crimes by claiming to be buying tomatoes! Our officers and the courts saw through his lies and the man has now been found guilty."
British police are working to stop solicitation in their streets. In June and July this year, eight suspected kerb crawlers were given warnings not to attend the area again or face being arrested.
Two women were also arrested on suspicion of being sex workers and 11 street warnings have been issued to other women. If a sex worker receives three street warnings they are taken to court.
As for Ikhlaq, we sure hope he was buying very expensive tomatoes instead of a very cheap prostitute.
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