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DCF Head: New Child Porn Case Victims Weren't State Clients

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By SHERRI ACKERMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 16, 2008

TAMPA - Recently discovered victims of former Department of Children & Families' spokesman Al Zimmerman were not clients of the state agency, said DCF Secretary George Sheldon.

Zimmerman was arrested in February on charges stemming from a federal complaint that he made sexually explicit photos and videos of two boys who were 16 at the time. One of them was a foster child.

The state has paid $500,000 in a legal settlement for that victim, who will be eligible to receive therapy until he turns 40, a DCF spokeswoman said.

The U.S. attorney's office told a judge Wednesday that there were four or five more victims.

Those victims hail from Central Florida, Sheldon said today during a stop in Tampa. He called the incident one of the darkest days for him and his predecessor, Bob Butterworth.

The department had failed to properly conduct background checks on Zimmerman, who earlier had charges against him of bad check writing and driving while under the influence, among other issues.

His arrest prompted the agency to conduct checks on all 13,500 employees and led to the firing of five people, Sheldon said. Those people were not linked to Zimmerman, Sheldon said.

A federal grand jury has handed up a new indictment against Zimmerman, adding charges of receiving child pornography, possessing child pornography and obstruction of justice.

Reporter Elaine Silvestrini contributed to the report. Reporter Sherri Ackerman can be reached at (813) 259-7144 or sackerman@tampatrib.com.

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