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2 Volusia County deputies off job over drug-court sex scandal

A pair of Volusia County deputies are no longer with the Sheriff's Office after internal investigations found them to be soliciting sex from drug court participants, records show.
Deputy Bryan Barnett was allowed to resign instead of being fired and Deputy Jay Hawman was fired earlier this year, officials said.
While neither is facing criminal charges, one drug court participant said they did irreparable harm to women who were just trying to get sober.
“Every one of those girls are either dead or still getting high right now,” the drug court participant, who asked not to be identified, said.
According to the woman, and corroborated by information in the internal investigation, she and Barnett had sex for money.
It wasn’t just her, though. Barnett would flirt with others in the drug court, the woman said.
“When he would transport somebody, he gave out his number frequently to the girls,” she said.
Another internal investigation report found that Hawman purchased a cleansing drink for one drug court participant so she could pass a court-ordered urine test.
That kind of thing can end up being devastating for an addict, the woman who spoke to Channel 9 said Monday.
“Secrets keep you sick,” she said. “It sets you in a tailspin of thinking you can get away with it.”
Another drug court participant told investigators that Barnett and Hawman would prey on the vulnerable women trying to get sober.
“That was his, basically their icebreaker is, ‘I have a heart for people who’s struggling with drugs, and if you’re trying to do the right thing, I’ll help you,’” the woman told investigators.
The same woman, speaking about Barnett, said that he was allegedly very aggressive in pursuing the women.
“Before I ever made it to the courthouse, Barnett had given me his phone number,” the woman said, according to the internal investigation report. “You already know what the reasoning is. I mean, you don’t arbitrarily, men don’t arbitrarily give a prostitute or an escort their phone number for no apparent reason. I mean, it wasn’t for me to come over and watch damn cartoons.”
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said that the deputies are no longer working for his office, pursuing any criminal charges is a challenge because the women were adults and the sex was consensual.
The drug court participant who spoke to Channel 9 said she was frustrated that they aren't facing legal consequences.
“Do I think they should face charges? Yeah, I do, because they’ve stolen something from someone,” she said. “They stole their opportunity to get sober.”

Cox Media Group

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