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Police Suspect Former DCF Spokesman Had Other Victims

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By THOMAS W.  KRAUSE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 4, 2008

Updated: 02/04/2008 03:15 pm

TAMPA - The former spokesman for the state agency that protects children, arrested Friday on charges that he asked two teenage boys to take sexual pictures of themselves, may have other victims, police said today.

Zimmerman

Interviews with witnesses and the victims have led authorities to believe that Al Zimmerman, 40, may have done this before, Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said.

"We believe there are other victims out there," McElroy said. "We would like to make an appeal: if anyone else has had contact with him, if they could come forward."

Names of victims will remain anonymous, McElroy said. Anyone with information is asked to call (813) 231-6130.

Arrest records state that Zimmerman offered money to one 16-year-old and 17-year-old if they would take pictures of themselves masturbating. One boy lives in Hillsborough County and the other in Orange County. Officials would not comment on the number of pictures involved. Zimmerman is charged with eight counts of using a child for sexual performance.

An interim spokeswoman for the Department of Children and Families, Erin Geraghty, has said one of the teens approached by Zimmerman is or has been in state care.

A statewide prosecutor asked a judge Saturday to hold Zimmerman without bail but was denied. He was released on $120,000 bail.

Officials with the Florida Statewide Prosecution Office said this weekend that Zimmerman would be back in court today and that they would ask to have his bail revoked. No motion was filed. Zimmerman was not in court.

Investigators with the FBI have been reviewing Zimmerman's work computer and cell phone. McElroy said no additional charges are expected today.

Zimmerman had worked for DCF since March 2005. Previously, he worked for television news stations in Tampa and Macon, Ga.

When applying for the job with the state, Zimmerman included as a reference Gov. Charlie Crist. At the time, Crist was the attorney general. Requests for comment from Crist's office were not immediately returned.

Zimmerman also listed as a reference Joe Durkin. At the time, Durkin was the spokesman for the Tampa Police Department. Currently, Durkin is director of corporate communications for Bright House Networks.

Durkin said he knew Zimmerman professionally in Zimmerman's capacity as a reporter for Bay News 9. The two never had a relationship outside of their respective jobs, Durkin said.

Often, reporters who were looking to get out of the news business asked Durkin for a reference, he said.

"He was a very personable, very detail-oriented reporter," Durkin said. "It surprised me that he would break the law. It shocked me that he would commit a crime involving children."

Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.

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