DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.,None — A scandal is unfolding involving lies and sex with underage girls inside a lifeguard tower.
WFTV reviewed an Internal Affairs report that forced Volusia County Beach Patrol to fire three more people. The county had already fired one former officer and another one had to quit because of the sex scandal.
Beach patrol officers are more than just lifeguards in Volusia County; they're sworn officers of the law. One of the officers is already facing criminal charges for having sex with a teenage girl.
WFTV learned Tuesday the State Attorney's investigation is not necessarily limited to the five beach patrol employees accused of misconduct since last fall. Some of the allegations so far include having sex on both floors of the lifeguard station by the park, the pier and a crowded part of the beach.
An Internal Affairs investigation reveals young girls and women said they had sex with beach patrol officers in beach offices; other officers looked at pornography on work computers and others were accused of throwing parties where underage lifeguards could drink.
"We've dealt with it swiftly and in the harshest of terms," Volusia County spokesperson Dave Byron said.
Volusia County has now notified three more employees they are fired and accepted the resignation of another.
It started when Robert Tameris was fired last fall and arrested for sleeping with a teen girl. Jecoa Simmons is connected to the same girl, plus two other women. He contested his firing Tuesday.
Two other employees, Christin Duarte and Rodrigo Miranda, were also fired. A deputy chief, William Bussinger, admitted looking at porn twice in the last year.
"It does sort of tarnish the reputation, but from our judgment these are individual, isolated instances," Byron said.
The county investigation is finished, but the State Attorney's Office said it will follow where witnesses and evidence lead it.
Simmons' attorney told WFTV he was offended investigators have spent hundreds of hours investigating alleged liaisons, including taking DNA samples and contacting women the men had relationships with years ago.
Investigators set up taped phone calls and meetings where some of the officers admitted lying or tried to get witnesses to lie for them.
The officers have until March 17 to contest their firings.
The allegations and firings are happening just days before county leaders plan to discuss cutting $1.4 million from Beach Patrol's budget. The county will consider cutting highly-paid positions, reducing lifeguard towers and taking lifeguards off the beach earlier each day.
A county spokesman said the timing isn't good, but that the firings have nothing to do with budget cuts.