Florida Man Sues Sheriff, Deputy for False Accusations of Child Porn

A Florida man who has been under investigation for child porn is now suing a deputy and sheriff, claiming they have falsely accused him and he has suffered damages as a result.

The man is suing Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Deputy Sean Jones, claiming that they engaged in false arrest and malicious prosecution. He is also accusing Jones of lying under oath regarding how the data from his cellphone was obtained.

Over the past two years, the officers released the man’s name, photo, and address over various social media platforms claiming he was a child predator. However, this information was based solely on a cell phone number that had not been operable for several years.

Jones allegedly wrote down false and misleading statements about the plaintiff, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiff claims that Jones knew his statements were false and that they would lead to the arrest and prosecution of the victim, a married man with children. These statements were eventually made public, as they were filed in the public record on May 22, 2020.

The man claims that there was no evidence of child pornography crimes. He claims he was arrested only because Jones asked for a passcode for his phone and he responded by asking for a lawyer.

The criminal charges were eventually dropped, as the state attorney could not prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt. Even when the man was released from jail, he was still prohibited from staying in the same house as his children. He was not even allowed to see them in person. The man claims that he was ostracized from his community.

The sheriff’s office’s mission was to track down those who were distributing child porn images under Operation Guardians of Innocence V. The plaintiff claims he was targeted solely based on his phone number, which he and his wife quit using when they moved from Puerto Rico to Florida in 2018. The alleged criminal offenses occurred in 2019. Sheriff Judd publicized the man’s arrest by publicly announcing the names and addresses of the arrestees and holding press conferences covered by local media.

The man claimed he lost his job as a nurse following his arrest. According to the lawsuit, the man suffered “severe emotional distress and humiliation” for the false charges, considering the prosecution continued for two years. He is seeking an unknown amount of money for the damages he has suffered.

Contact a Legal Professional for Help

The police don’t always get it right. Sometimes law enforcement officials are too worried about making an arrest that they don’t ensure there is adequate evidence.

This is an example of a situation where a Florida child pornography lawyer from the Law Offices of Gilbert A. Schaffnit can assist you. False accusations can be harmful in many ways. Fill out the online form or call (352) 505-1799 to schedule a consultation.

Source:

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