Sex Crimes

Published on: June 25, 2015

FDLE Arrests 42 Sex Offenders for Registration Violations

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

In a month and a half-long operation called “Summer Heat,” 42 sex offenders who violated registration laws were arrested.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement released this statement: “Operation Summer Heat should send a strong message to all sex offenders that Florida law enforcement is serious about registration. We are just beginning our work. If you are a sex offender and you violate registration laws, we are looking for you.”

The operation resulted in the arrest of 4 sex offenders from Central Florida including Seminole, Orange and Volusia counties. The FDLE’s Enforcement and Investigative Support Unit coordinated the operation along with the U.S. Marshals Service and local law enforcement agencies.

The EIS was created in 2014 to assist local and federal agencies to locate sex offenders who have violated registration laws, many of whom cross jurisdictional lines. The offenders who intentionally avoid registration requirements were arrested.

The arrests were made from warrants as a result of investigations conducted by local sheriffs or police departments.

Florida sex offender registration requires you to give all of your information to the authorities regarding where you live, work or attend school. This information that is required to be given can include personal information, fingerprints, identifying physical information like tattoos and noticeable scars and birthmarks and even information about the crimes for which you were convicted. This information made public and available to everyone in the community. Anyone can get online and view this information, including employers, housing and rental agencies, schools, neighborhood associations and neighbors, as well as police.

Failing to register can result in severe criminal penalties. Our Central Florida Criminal Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton represent those who have been charged with failure to register or falsifying their registration.

Published on: June 18, 2015

Retired Principal Gets 10 Years in Prison for Attempting to Have Sex with Teens

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A retired school principal and 911 dispatcher was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison Thursday after admitting he tried to meet two teen boys for sex in Palm Beach County.

The 64-year-old, who recently retired to Delray Beach from southern Indiana, was arrested in January after showing up at a Boynton Beach Mall restaurant for a sexual encounter with what he thought was a 15-year-old boy.

The man apparently did not realize the person he had contacted on the online Grindr service was an undercover city police officer posing as a minor.

After his arrest, agents from Homeland Security Investigations found evidence on his cellphone that allegedly showed he had also tried to meet a real teen, who he thought was 16, for sex in December.

The man and the boy apparently exchanged sexually explicit photographs on their cellphones and arranged to meet. Police also claim that the man wrote a message to the minor declaring there was “too much danger” and he couldn’t risk “getting caught.”

The man showed up at the boy’s Lantana home less than two hours after they started chatting on another online service, according to reports.

When the man showed up at the house, the 15-year-old teen wrote him a message telling him to leave.

The teen apparently told investigators he “chickened out” of having sex with the man.

The man moved to South Florida in August and pleaded guilty to two counts of enticing a minor to engage in sexual conduct in March.

A U.S. District Judge ruled that the man must serve 10 years of supervised release after he gets out of prison and register as a sex offender.

Published on: June 4, 2015

Manatee County Man Caught with 12-Year-Old Girl in Her Home

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Deputies have arrested a man they claim arranged to meet a 12-year-old girl online and was caught in her home.

The 24-year-old man is accused of traveling to the girl’s home on the 3100 block of 9th Street E at about 2 a.m., according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives allege the man and the girl met on Facebook two weeks ago, and that they were texting each other back and forth. Detectives believe that on Wednesday, the girl texted him and asked him to come over.

Police claim the man knew the girl was 12, but still went to her home and was in her bedroom for about an hour when the girl’s grandmother walked in.

According to police, the grandmother called 911 and, then alerted other family members who started hitting the man. Reports indicate that once police arrived, the man ran out of the house, saying, “I’m getting killed.”

Detectives said both the girl and the suspect said nothing sexual happened while they were in the house together, and they were only talking.

The man was charged with traveling to meet a minor for unlawful sexual activity.

The investigation is ongoing.

While it is a crime to solicit a minor, it is a much more serious matter to be accused of traveling to meet a minor. After a solicitation is made online, in person or via text, and the adult travels any distance to meet the minor in person, he or she is in danger of very severe consequences. These harsh penalties may include a very long prison sentence and lifetime registration as a sex offender.

If you have been contacted by police, the best thing you can do is to not answer any questions or respond to statements. Police can be tricky and may even promise to give you reduced charges or dismiss them altogether if you talk to them. Just remember that even making a simple statement that you do not consider to be a confession can be extremely damaging to your defense.

Published on: June 3, 2015

Joint Lake & Polk County Sex Sting Yields 101 Arrests

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

An undercover cyber crime prostitution and child-sex sting conducted jointly by the Lake and Polk county sheriff’s offices netted 101 arrests Tuesday.

Of those arrested was an Orlando community activist who drove to a Clermont-area house intending to meet what he believed was a 12-year-old girl he had been chatting with online for sex, according to authorities. The man apparently drove to the house in a vehicle with a specialty “Invest in Children” license plate and was arrested after knocking on the door of the decoy house.

The two-week sting, which started on May 18, resulted in 79 people being arrested in the prostitution operation and 22 in the child-sex sting, according to officials.

The operation, dubbed “L & P” for “Lake” and “Polk,” used chat rooms and online forums to identify people seeking illicit sex. The first phase of the operation targeted people looking to have sex with minors from 10 to 14. The second phase of the operation targeted prostitution, and most suspects were arrested for attempting to engage in a sex act for cash. A few were busted for drug possession and one driver faces charges for taking a person to the house knowing prostitution was involved, according to reports.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is notorious for conducting sex sting operations around the county that are intended to target adults seeking underage individuals online to engage in sexual activities. Undercover officers usually claim that those arrested in these sting operations responded to ads that implied a minor was available for sex.

Regardless of the fact that many sex sting cases wind up getting dismissed, and many convictions are overturned due to entrapment, once arrested, the damage is already done. The media coverage sought by law enforcement in regards to these sting operations are ruthless to the point that the accused may find a TV news camera aimed at his face while being guided into the back seat of a patrol car. These accusations alone can negatively impact a person’s employment status, reputation, family and personal life.

Published on: April 28, 2015

Lakeland Man Jailed on Child Sex Charges

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 31-year-old Lakeland man and charged him with raping two children.

The man is currently being held in the Polk County Jail.

Authorities allege the man sexually assaulted two children, aged 10 and 12, on several occasions. Police claim the assaults took place at several locations, including the man’s workplace and his truck.

Deputies also allege that the man threatened the children if they spoke about the incidents. Authorities claim the man told the children that if they talked, he would cause them physical harm.

The man is facing 15 counts of sexual battery on each child.

Sex crimes usually carry long jail sentences and require registration as a sex offender for life. The stakes are extremely high! In sex crimes cases, early intervention by an experienced criminal defense attorney can make a tremendous difference in a case, especially when allegations of child sex abuse are involved. If you have been contacted by the Florida Department of Children and Families or by the police, or if you believe that you may be under investigation by the police, it is important to get immediate legal help and advice.

Published on: April 27, 2015

Loretta Lynch Announced by Senate as Attorney General

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

Loretta E. Lynch was announced as the new U.S. attorney general Thursday, with the Senate voting 56 to 43 to confirm the veteran New York prosecutor five months after President Obama submitted her nomination to Congress.

According to the Justice Department, Lynch is expected to be sworn in as the nation’s 83rd attorney general Monday.

Obama released a statement saying that “America will be better off” with Lynch in charge of the Justice Department. “She will bring to bear her experience as a tough, independent, and well-respected prosecutor on key, bipartisan priorities like criminal justice reform,” he said.

Lynch is the first African American woman to be nominated for the post, which has taken on a much higher profile than in the past due to the leading role the Justice Department has recently played in the debate over race and policing across the country.

The time Lynch had to wait between nomination and confirmation was the longest for an attorney general nominee in 31 years. With it all said and done, the confirmation vote margin was wider than expected: Ten Republicans joined the Senate’s 44 Democrats and two independents in supporting Lynch. Forty-three senators, all Republicans, were opposed.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., stepping down after more than six years, said Lynch would be “an outstanding attorney general, a dedicated guardian of the Constitution, and a devoted champion of all those whom the law protects and empowers.”

Obama called the slow and final vote to confirm Lynch as “embarrassing” last week.

Obama nominated Lynch, 55, in November to replace Holder. The Senate, then under Democratic control, did not act on the nomination. Rather, they chose to spend time in the lame-duck session on judicial appointments that party leaders believed would stall in a Republican-controlled Senate.

The thinking was that a Republican Senate would not take its time in confirming a replacement for Holder, a frequent target of Republican enmity. However, that was not the case, especially after Lynch became involved in a deep partisan rift over Obama’s immigration policy.

During questioning before the Senate Judiciary Committee in late January, Lynch said she believed Obama’s executive actions on immigration last year passed legal and constitutional muster, angering Republicans who considered them an overreach.

Republicans reactions to this was that Lynch was publicly committed to denigrating Congress, and that they could expect to see a great abuse of power by her.

After the January hearing, it took nearly a month for the panel to advance Lynch’s nomination, and then the nomination became caught up in an unrelated political dispute over a bill to combat sex trafficking.

Last week President Obama released this statement: “It’s gone too far. Enough. Enough. Call Loretta Lynch for a vote. Get her confirmed. Put her in place. Let her do her job.”

On Thursday, senators voted on final confirmation around 2 p.m.

The Senate voted 56–43 in favor of Lynch, approving her with help of 10 Republican senators, including Sens. Kelly Ayotte (N.H.), Thad Cochran (Miss.), Susan Collins (Maine), Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Orrin Hatch (Utah), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Published on: April 10, 2015

Homeless Man Accused of Molesting Girl

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 56-year-old homeless man has been arrested and charged with molesting a child, according to reports.

The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office claims the man molested a 9-year-old girl multiple times Tuesday and Wednesday at a Largo home.

Officials allege that the man somehow knew the child.

According to police, a witness contacted authorities, who then began investigating the accusations. Police said that the alleged victim confirmed the allegations during interviews.

The man was then arrested and charged with lewd and lascivious molestation on a child under 12 and was transported to the Pinellas County Jail.

While molestation charges are nothing to mess around with, it is important to understand that there are circumstances where an adult is wrongfully accused of lewd and lascivious molestation. Authorities will not usually question allegations made by a child who may be lying in order to achieve some real or imagined gain. If you are charged with molestation or another sex crimes offense, contact a Pinellas County Criminal Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton as soon as possible so that we can assess your unique situation, ask the necessary questions and determine the best legal strategy for your defense.

Published on: April 6, 2015

Former Key West Cop Gets Molestation Charges Dropped

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A former Key West police officer who was recently accused of sexually abusing a minor will not be prosecuted on two charges of child molestation and one of lewd exhibition.

Assistant State Attorney Val Winter, who had been prosecuting the case against the 42-year-old man, said that the charges were dropped because the girl’s parents believe discontinuing the case “is in the child’s best interests.”

The abuse allegedly started when the girl was 10 and continued until she was 13.

The man, who was a resource officer at Key West High School, turned himself in to the Monroe County Detention Center on Stock Island a year ago. He was released that same day after posting 10 percent of his bond, which was initially set at $100,000, and turning in his passport.

According to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrest affidavit, the man allegedly intentionally forced the girl to touch his genitals in her bed at night. He was also accused of touching her breasts and “attempting to touch her vagina.”

The man apparently had a relationship with the girl’s mother at the time of the alleged sexual abuse, and they were living together with both of her children, according to the arrest affidavit.

The man resigned from the Police Department in February 2014 after being put on paid leave on Dec. 17, 2013.

The man was recognized by the FBI for exceptional service in 2000 and was named officer of the quarter in 2006.

If you are being investigated for or have already been arrested and charged with a sex crime, this does not mean your life is over. It is possible to beat a sex crime charge, avoid prison time and avoid having to register as a sex offender. But, you need help to do this. A Monroe County Criminal Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton can help explore all possibilities with the hopes of getting the charges against you dropped.

Published on: March 30, 2015

Lake Wales Motel Manager Accused of Video Voyeurism

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A 26-year-old Lake Wales motel manager is accused of video voyeurism.

Police claim the man is the motel’s night office manager at the Budget Inn Motel and allegedly installed a camera in a guest’s bathroom.

According to the arrest affidavit, the camera was facing the shower. Police believe the man installed the device under the guise the bathroom’s plumbing needed to be fixed.

Police allege that after the man left the room, the guests heard something fall in the bathroom.

Once they discovered the camera, they called law enforcement.

In addition to video voyeurism, the man is also charged with illegal device to intercept communication.

According to police, the man bonded out on Saturday.

The man is a native of Gujarad, India, and he is currently living in the United States on a student visa. The affidavit requests that the man surrender his passport while the case is ongoing.

A conviction of even a relatively minor sex crime such as voyeurism carries pretty harsh penalties. You not only face a potential year in jail, but even a conviction of a misdemeanor sex crime may require you to register as a sex offender, which restricts where you live or work. A conviction on your record may also cause difficulty with obtaining employment or renting or purchasing a home.

Published on: March 16, 2015

Gainesville Man Allegedly Sends Nude Pics of Minor to Her Facebook Friends

by Whittel & Melton, LLC

A Gainesville man was arrested Saturday night after police allege he distributed sexually obscene photographs taken of a female who was a minor at the time the photographs were taken.

According to a Gainesville Police Department report, the 36-year-old man and the female had apparently been involved in a two-year sexual relationship that began when the girl, who is now 18 years old, was 16.

The report alleges that the man knew the victim was 16 years old when the relationship began.