Florida Criminal Attorney Blog
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.
Contact us today online or call 866-608-5529 to discuss your case and learn how we can help fight sex crime charges related to allegations of molestation, rape, lewd and lascivious conduct, sexual assault, child pornography or any other Internet sex crimes. We are available 24/7 for a free consultation and can begin helping you with a defense right away.