Sexual crimes can be particularly devastating to victims, but also to those who are accused of committing them. If an accused person is convicted, it can not only have legal consequences, but personal ones as well, including harm to his or her career and reputation. A man here in Florida may find out just what those consequences entail, as he now stands accused of several sex crimes.
The man in question was a police officer for Florida Polytechnic University for over two years. He has been accused of sexual battery and stalking by local law enforcement. A female family member of his claims that he has been threatening her for about seven years. His arrest affidavit says that he sexually battered her, using “force or violence likely to cause serious personal injury.” She also claims that he cyberstalked her, using text messaging to harass her and threatening to share nude photos of her if she did not have sex with him.
The man resigned his position at Florida Polytechnic when he was arrested. He used to work as a police officer in Tennessee, and his most recent employer says that a background check was conducted on him before he was hired, though it is not clear whether anything was discovered by that check. The charges against him are sexual battery with threat or force, extortion or threats and domestic aggravated stalking, which are all felonies.
The consequences of a conviction for sex crimes in Florida can be far-reaching. A convicted sex offender may face prison time, fines and mandatory placement on the sex offender registry. Any of those results may affect a person’s ability to gain employment or harm their personal life. Consulting an attorney with experience defending those charged with sex crimes may be the way to ensure the best possible outcome.