Charles Friedlander is "a 78-year-old lonely man whose only social life is on the Internet," and not a pedophile who attempted to sexually and physically abuse two boys, Friedlander's lawyer told a jury today. ...more

December 15, 2008

Fort Myers mental health counselor Thomas Jackson Friedlander was described today as being either a sadistic pedophile or a lonely 78-year-old homosexual who was arrested for describing his corporal punishment fantasies. ...more

December 8, 2008

TAMPA The search of a Riverview home Wednesday night led to the seizure of about 400 grams of methamphetamines, Hillsborough County deputies say. Deputies arrested Jose Suazo-Aviles and Maria Arguelles at 7:35 p.m. Wednesday at 12007 Glenshire Drive. ...more

November 20, 2008

Around the same time a mental health counselor was talking online to an undercover detective in Pinellas County about having sex with the detective's fictional young sons, he was chatting with another undercover detective about having sex with that detective's fictional mentally handicapped daughter, a prosecutor said in court this morning. Charles Jackson Friedlander, 78, is scheduled to go on trial Monday on a charge he used a computer to arrange sex with the first detective's fictional 10- and 11-year old boys. Friedlander, of Fort Myers, could face between 10 years and life behind bars if convicted. ...more

November 14, 2008

Lothario Overstreet met with an undercover detective this afternoon to buy $42,000 in cocaine, Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies say. ...more

October 24, 2008

A Hillsborough County middle school teacher was among 13 people netted in a weekend prostitution sting in Polk County. ...more

October 20, 2008

The Polk County Sheriff's Office used the Web site Craigslist to set up a prostitution sting that netted 13 arrests including a Hillsborough County middle school teacher. ...more

October 19, 2008

BRADENTON – Three men who sold $1,100 worth of what was believed to be heroin to an undercover detective led authorities on a 45-minute pursuit Thursday night. ...more

October 18, 2008

A Polk County detention deputy was arrested today, accused by detectives of running a check-kiting scheme to cover debts. ...more

September 22, 2008

An undercover detective was justified in using his firearm when he got into a gunbattle with one of three robbery suspects in April, a shooting review board ruled Monday. ...more

September 16, 2008