Seminole County man arrested, charged with bigamy

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A Seminole County man accused of having two wives was arrested and charged with a felony.

Tammy Hampton said she married the love of her life two-and-a-half years ago.

"We wouldn't have gotten married if I had known he was still married, there's no way," said Hampton. "We honestly, 100 percent thought that he was not legally married."

John Bombard was just arrested on bigamy charges.

"Did you know that you were married to two women?" Channel 9's Karla Ray asked Bombard.

"At that point, yeah," said Bombard.

"Not when we got married," said Hampton.

Bombard said he has been separated from his other wife, Cindy Horton, for 10 years.

WFTV learned that Horton is the one who turned him in.

"So why then go to the Sheriff's Office? Why not just get a divorce?" Ray asked Horton.

"You don't go get married again. Aren't there laws that should be upheld?" said Horton.

John Bombard said when he was ready to marry  Hampton, he searched through marriage records  online and couldn't find the license for his marriage to Horton. He said he assumed that their wedding was never legal.

"I'm all in favor for a common-law marriage, but if we're going to have common-law marriage why don't we have a common-law divorce?" said John Bombard.

He's facing third-degree felony charges.

WFTV found both of John Bombard's marriage licenses. One license filed in Seminole Count in 1997, the other filed in 2010.

He and Hampton are worried that they will have to divorce to make the problem go away.

"She is worth all the trouble that I'm in, that she's going through, she's worth it," said Bombard.

Both Bombard and Horton said they would get a divorce but cannot afford it.

The maximum penalty for a third-degree felony is five years in prison.
   

WFTV