Levy County Sheriff's Lieutenant Accused of Sexual Battery

Whittel & Melton, LLC 352-264-7800 – Florida Sex Crime Attorneys

A Williston lieutenant with the Levy County Sheriff’s Office suffered the jolt of a Taser Friday night when he was arrested at a friend’s home for armed sexual battery.

The lieutenant who also works as a mixed martial arts cage fighter was accused of sexually battering a woman he allegedly used to date at a home in Morriston, Florida.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement supposedly received an anonymous tip Friday evening that the man was at a friend’s home in Chiefland and appeared suicidal.

When officials arrived at the home they supposedly found an empty vehicle with a hose connected to the tailpipe. Investigators allegedly got the 38-year-old Williston man on the phone and convinced him to exit the house.

According to officials, the man supposedly refused to be handcuffed and due to his strength as a fighter, they chose to use a Taser instead of extreme force to persuade the man to surrender to arrest. He was arrested around 11 p.m.

The man was charged with armed sexual battery, false imprisonment, and aggravated assault and tampering with a victim. His bond was set at $2 million.

The deputy of 16 years has supposedly been suspended from the Sheriff’s Office without pay.

Armed sexual battery is a serious offense that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. If a firearm was used, then the state of Florida can impose a 10-year mandatory sentence under the 10-20-Life law.

Armed sexual battery charges can be applied when sexual battery, date rape or rape involve the threat of violence. The State does not actually have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused actually possessed a weapon or firearm to prove that the offense was committed. The mere threat of a weapon can mean a conviction for armed sexual battery and often the prison sentence for this crime revolves around the nature of the threat.

The state of Florida classifies sexual battery involving a police officer as a first-degree felony punishable by 30 years in state prison. These cases are usually thoroughly investigated due to the authoritative role law enforcement official’s serve within the community. Unfortunately, police officers are not exempt from false allegations of sexual misconduct, which is why Florida makes it a third-degree felony to falsely accuse any law officer of rape.

The Florida Sex Crimes Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton understand that false allegations are the most common reason people find themselves arrested for sexual battery. Any type of sexual battery accusation should be scrutinized carefully and as quickly as possible so that favorable evidence can be turned over to the prosecution before charges are formally filed.

If you are a government employee or a law officer that has been accused of sexual battery anywhere in the state of Florida, contact the Florida Sex Crimes Defense Attorneys at Whittel & Melton, LLC online or dial us locally at our Gainesville office at 352-264-7800 or reach us statewide and toll-free at 866-608-5529.