Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier criticized Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell of the Ninth Judicial Circuit during a news conference in Orlando for not prosecuting a pair of child predator cases. Uthmeier's remarks came during the state's crackdown on soft-on-crime policies alongside U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) and members of the Florida Highway Patrol.
Specifically, Uthmeier called out Worrell for not pressing charges against a man accused of masturbating while facing children at a public splash pad. The attorney general noted there was video evidence and witness testimony from a father who witnessed the alleged act in front of his two-year-old feet from the offender.
"While we had all of this evidence and an open and shut case, State Attorney Worrell decided charges did not need to be brought," Uthmeier said. "She gave this guy a free walk in the park, and now other kids are in jeopardy of having a tragic incident happen to them."
Uthmeier also mentioned another case in which an individual allegedly possessed "tons" of child pornography videos, including videos of toddlers getting raped and abused, which Worrell decided to ignore.
"She dropped all charges. Let this guy go free," Uthmeier said.
According to Uthmeier, the individual was caught before reaching the Canadian border by the Florida State Attorney's Office for further prosecution.
"When it comes to these dangerous child predators, there's only one thing to do: prosecute to the fullest, ensure the longest sentences were legally appropriate, seek the death penalty, but at the end of the day, we have to protect our kids," Uthmeier said.
Rep. Lee also stressed the importance of tough-on-crime policies, mentioning a recent case in which a Ukrainian refugee, Iryna Zarutska, was murdered on a bus by an alleged violent offender in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"When a state Attorney prevents these types of cases from being reviewed or lets a repeat offender out while awaiting trial, that is a public safety problem," Lee said prior. "Every charging decision is a public safety decision. It determines whether families are protected or whether danger is being put back out on the streets."
Lee is a former federal prosecutor. She currently serves Florida's 15th congressional district, which includes parts of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk counties.
"This isn't complicated. Keep violent offenders off the street, be honest about the results, and use common sense," Lee said. "That's how we protect families. That's how we give real second chances to those who can succeed, and that's how we restore trust in our justice system."
