Florida Republican appointee arrested on child porn charges
Harry Hope
According to his DCF biography, he is from Lakeland.
He made $75,000 a year, personnel records show.
The records show he listed Gov. Charlie Crist, then the state attorney
general, as a reference.
The file also contained his Florida criminal history, which showed an
arrest on fraudulent check writing charges.
From The St. Petersburg Times, 2/2/08:
http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/02/news_pf/Hillsborough/Official_at_DCF_linke.shtml
Official at DCF linked to kid porn
By STEPHANIE GARRY, Times Staff Writer
The spokesman for the Department of Children and Families was arrested
on child pornography charges Friday night, accused of soliciting two
teen-agers to perform sex acts that he used to make child pornography.
Al Zimmerman, 40, who has worked for DCF since spring 2005, was
arrested in Lakeland and taken to the Hillsborough County jail, where
he was booked on eight counts of using a child in a sexual
performance.
Investigators say the victims were 16 and 17.
Investigators believe one of the victims was under the care of the
state at some point.
A probable cause affidavit filed at the jail says Zimmerman offered
one of the victims in Orange County money to pose for nude photos and
masturbate so he could create child pornography.
The affidavit says the crimes occurred between December 2005 and July
2007 in Hillsborough County and between October and this month in
Orange County.
It also said Zimmerman admitted the accusations.
"I'm shocked. I'm horrified," DCF chief Bob Butterworth said late
Friday night.
"This is appalling, disheartening in every sense of the word."
Butterworth learned of the investigation Wednesday and said Zimmerman
was fired Friday.
He has asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to work with
DCF to see if any other children in the state's care where victimized.
In Zimmerman's role as a DCF spokesman, there was the possibility of
limited contact with minors as part of his job, said Erin Geraghty,
another department spokeswoman.
Zimmerman's arrest stemmed from a routine investigation started by the
Tampa Police Department, said Sandi Copes, a spokeswoman for the
Florida Attorney General's Office.
She couldn't say how long the investigation had been going on, but
said it could result in more charges.
Zimmerman faces up to 120 years in prison if convicted on the current
charges.
He was being held Friday night on a $60,000 bail.
"I am completely shocked," said Nick Cox, DCF's regional director in
Tampa, who said he considered Zimmerman a friend.
"It's so much worse the nature of the work we're doing that this has
happened with him."
Zimmerman most recently has worked out of Tallahassee, but his
previous role at DCF was as spokesman for District 13, which included
Citrus, Hernando, Marion, Lake and Sumter counties.
He previously worked in journalism, including as a reporter for Bay
News 9.
According to his DCF biography, he is from Lakeland.
He made $75,000 a year, personnel records show.
The records show he listed Gov. Charlie Crist, then the state attorney
general, as a reference.
The file also contained his Florida criminal history, which showed an
arrest on fraudulent check writing charges.
Butterworth said nothing in his background would have predicted the
type of crime of which he is now accused
Butterworth has asked the DCF inspector general to review the case and
make recommendations for policy changes, which could include more
thorough background checks.
__________________________________________________
Harry
B1ackwater
>According to his DCF biography, he is from Lakeland.
>
>He made $75,000 a year, personnel records show.
>
>The records show he listed Gov. Charlie Crist, then the state attorney
>general, as a reference.
>
>The file also contained his Florida criminal history, which showed an
>arrest on fraudulent check writing charges.
>
>
>From The St. Petersburg Times, 2/2/08:
>http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/02/news_pf/Hillsborough/Official_at_DCF_linke.shtml
>
>Official at DCF linked to kid porn
>By STEPHANIE GARRY, Times Staff Writer
>
>The spokesman for the Department of Children and Families was arrested
>on child pornography charges Friday night, accused of soliciting two
>teen-agers to perform sex acts that he used to make child pornography.
Ah ... a stealth 'liberal' ...
Prince Albert's In The Can
"B1ackwater" <b...@barrk.net> wrote in message
news:4foaq3hq4cpr1j03a...@4ax.com...
unlike flaming lib and former KGO radio talkshow host Bernie Ward, whose
leftist views were unmistakable and spewed over KGO radio for some 20
years..... Ward was busted for distributing kiddie porn a few months ago.
on the bright side, Ward was once a friend of Limbaugh's when they worked
together in Sacramento, so the Rush haters now can link Rush to kiddie porn
through his associate with Ward.
.
>
B1ackwater
Actually, sexual attraction to four-year-olds seems
totally unrelated to political party, ideological
leanings, wealth, social status or religious
affilliation.
B1ackwater
>On Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:59:08 GMT, b...@barrk.net (B1ackwater) wrote:
>
>>>on the bright side, Ward was once a friend of Limbaugh's when they worked
>>>together in Sacramento, so the Rush haters now can link Rush to kiddie porn
>>>through his associate with Ward.
>>
>>
>> Actually, sexual attraction to four-year-olds seems
>> totally unrelated to political party, ideological
>> leanings, wealth, social status or religious
>> affilliation.
>
>
>I wish that were true but it seems lots of pedophiles seek to hide out
>by being active in the GOP.
>See
>www.armchairsubversive.com
"Hiding out" ... which implies they're REALLY 'liberals'
at heart :-)
Clave
news:qefdq31evth0r239m...@4ax.com...
How do you ascribe *any* political ideology to someone sick enough in the
head to be actively involved in making or keeping their own behavior
illegal?
Can people that schizophrenic rightfully be labeled "liberals" or
"conservatives"?
They do tend to concentrate in the Republican party, though.
Jim
Rich Travsky
No, it means they're rightards - hiding behind morals and religion.
RT