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DCF: New Child Porn Victims Not State Clients

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By SHERRI ACKERMAN

sackerman@tampatrib.com

Published: October 17, 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 there were four or five more victims.

Those victims hail from Central Florida, Sheldon said Thursday in Tampa.

The department had failed to properly conduct background checks on Zimmerman, who earlier had charges of writing bad checks and driving under the influence.

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

A federal grand jury handed up a new indictment against him, 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.

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