Florida sheriff's deputy is fired for making sexual advances to woman he met during a child abuse complaint and another whose father had just died
A Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy was fired on Monday after making unwanted sexual advances on multiple women.
An administrative review board made the decision Monday to terminate Brian Overton, 35, who joined the Sheriff's Office in 2013, after he admitted to pursuing sex with women he met while working, according to Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
The sheriff told the the Tampa Bay Times that there were multiple complaints made about Overton, who Gualtieri referred to as a 'predator.'
'He's using the Sheriff’s Office, as a deputy, as his playground for his sexual escapades,' Gualtieri said. 'It's a terrible situation.'
An administrative review board made the decision Monday to terminate Brian Overton, 35, after he made multiple unwanted sexual advances on women he met on the job
In one complaint, Overton responded to a call in June 2020 from a St. Pete Beach woman whose father died.
Overton claimed he wanted to help her afterwards, with Gualtieri saying that Overton was trying to start a relationship with the anonymous woman.
An internal affairs report stated that texts between Overton and the woman 'quickly transitioned to a personal conversation with some comments being sexual in nature.'
Fox 13 reports that the complaint in regards to that incident was filed in July 2020.
While there was never any physical contact, Overton was given a written reprimand over his conduct in August.
Another incident occurred beginning on February 5, 2021, when Overton responded to a complaint about child abuse from a woman involved in a custody battle.
Overton did not find evidence of child abuse, but told the woman to file a report with the Department of Children and Families.
The next day, Overton texted the woman inquiring about animals in the house, seemingly at the behest of the Department of Children and Families.
He did so using an app that hid his real phone number and spoofed an alternate number instead.
Overton didn't actually report the incident to the Department of Children and Families until later in that day, though, the sheriff said.
Overton admitted to pursuing sex with women he met while working (stock)
Nevertheless, Overton and the woman exchanged over 30 text messages, some sexual in nature, including one with Overton revealing he'd had a vasectomy.
Overton texted, 'Don't take this the wrong way but you have Thst [sic] attractive independent vibe, not a perfect body but def still sexy.
He then added, 'So do you have a sister or a friend just like you lol jk.'
The woman told her husband about the texts but said she didn't want to go to the Sheriff's Office for fears her child custody case could be endangered.
Eventually, her husband filed a complaint and alleged that the texts were sexual harassment.
She told investigators that she felt she was sexually harassed and spent two hours trying to escape the conversation.
Overton later deleted the texts, telling investigators he feared being found out by his wife.
During the investigation into Overton, another incident was revealed where Overton responded as backup to a traffic stop for a suspected DUI, only to leave the scene when he realized he had previously met the woman behind the wheel on Plenty of Fish, a dating app.
Overton claimed to investigators that he had an affair with the woman for nearly a month, but didn't remember her name.
In a written statement on Monday, Overton said he has 'come to know and reckon with how my conduct impacted others' (stock)
Overton also told investigators that he passed out business cards to women while on the job, hoping they would help lead to sex.
In a written statement on Monday, Overton said he has 'come to know and reckon with how my conduct impacted others.'
'I understand that these women were strangers who I was supposed to protect and serve,' Overton continued.
He proceeded to apologize for his actions.
'At the time, I was just thinking about me. I did not think about how my conduct would impact them. I know now that I made them feel uncomfortable, and that I likely changed the way that they view and rely on law enforcement. For that, I offer my deepest apologies and sincerest regrets,' Overton concluded.
'Deputy Overton put his own personal wants before the welfare of citizens who are in vulnerable situations,' the Sheriff's Office added.
It's not clear if Overton will face criminal action for his conduct.
Overton comes from a famous family in the region, as his father was a Pinellas County Court judge, while his grandfather was a Florida Supreme Court justice.
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