Florida Criminal Attorney Blog
In what will no doubt be the subject of rumor mills in Sumter County, Florida for some time, a Deputy from the Sumter County S.O. has been arrested for the very serious offense of Sexual Battery on a child under the age of 12. This offense is a Capital Felony under Florida Law.
According to two news sources, the investigation, which was mostly done by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (F.D.L.E.) began in the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office (S.C.S.O.) where it was learned that the target of the allegation was a Sheriff’s Deputy. The information was then turned over to F.D.L.E. according to reports. The timeline of this alleged transfer of the investigation will certainly be a source of discussion during the defense of this case, as both the family of the victim and the defendant may have been unduly prejudiced by the S.C.S.O. being involved at any level.
The Deputy was taken into custody with no bond. The Sheriff’s office has reportedly suspended the officer as well. It is unknown at this time if the local State Attorney’s Office will handle this file or if it will be turned over to an outside SAO. Most cases involving local law enforcement are handled by outside prosecutors.
If you or a loved one has been charged with a Sexual Battery or any Sex Crime, contact Florida Sex Crimes Lawyer Whittel & Melton, LLC at 352-666-2121 or online.