Florida cop loses job, sex charges dropped
A police officer in Fernandina Beach, Florida, had child sex charges against him dropped last Wednesday in exchange for the surrender of his law enforcement certification.
The Fernandina Beach News Leader says that officer Tawn Duffy and two other officer were arrested last September. Duffy was charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor, perjury and official misconduct but all of the charges have been dropped in exchange for Duffy not being able to work in law enforcement in the future and for his agreement to not sue the city for any back wages still owed. Two of the officers arrested in the same case - Ernest Haskins and Joseph Ramia - previously accepted an identical deal to the one which Duffy agreed to. A fourth officer arrested in the same case - James Branning - pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual activity with a minor, tampering with a witness and official misconduct. He faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced in June.
