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Former school resource officer convicted of sex offense

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: April 27, 2009

A former Pinellas Sheriff's deputy who worked as a school resource officer was sentenced to 10 years in prison this afternoon, about a month after he was convicted of having sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl attending Osceola High School in 2001.

Todd J. Pierce, 43, was convicted on March 18 of lewd and lascivious battery and lewd and lascivious molestation, both felonies. Had Pinellas Circuit Judge R. Timothy Peters gave him back-to-back 15-year sentences, Pierce could have been sentenced to 30 years.

The 10-year sentence is to be followed by 5 years of sex offender probation.

Pierce pleaded with Pinellas Circuit Judge R. Timothy Peters to hand down the least severe punishment possible, saying a long prison term would make victims of his own family.

"if you do not look at what's on your papers and you do not look at what the detectives claim happened and you look at the heart of a man, I know you will feel comfortable in giving me the lowest possible" sentence, Pierce said.

Among those urging Peters to be lenient were Pierce's teenage son, other family members, three assistant principals at various schools, two preachers and a former fellow football coach.

Pierce said he was sorry for what the victim has gone through, and a spokesman for the victim's family said she accepted the apology.

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