Former MPD Lt. Brett Parson pleads not guilty to sexual battery charges

metroweekly.com:

engaged in oral sex with a 16-year-old male in South Florida.Parson, 53, has been charged with two felony counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison for each charge.Under Florida law, the age of consent is 18 years old. Engaging in sex with anyone under 18, even if the victim consents, is considered second-degree “sexual battery” according to the statute under which Parson is being charged — although the state does have a “Romeo and Juliet” law that exempts adults under the age of 24 who have sex with a 16- or 17-year-old from having to register as sex offenders after serving out their punishment.Appearing before Judge Phoebee Francois in Broward County Circuit Court, Parson pleaded not guilty to both charges.

However, Francois found probable cause to believe that Parson had committed the crimes, and set bail in the amount of $25,000 for each charge, or $50,000 in total.Parson, who was visiting his parents in South Florida two weeks ago, was arrested in Boca Raton on Feb.

12 after a 16-year-old said he had engaged in oral sex with the former Metropolitan Police Department lieutenant.According to an affidavit from the Coconut Creek Police Department, police officers saw two vehicles closely following each other in the early morning hours of Saturday, Feb.