Former MPD Lt. Brett Parson pleads not guilty to sexual battery charges
The former head of the LGBTQ Liaison Unit, who faces two charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor, has been released on bond.
Brett Parson, a former D.C. police officer, has pleaded not guilty to sexual battery charges stemming from allegations that he 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. 12, when the second car turned into a restricted area.
When officers approached the first vehicle, which was located in the middle of the roadway, Parson identified himself as a police officer from Washington, D.C. who had gotten lost looking for Interstate 95.
When officers approached the second vehicle, which had turned into the restricted area, the driver identified himself as a 16-year-old male who had arranged to meet with a man named Brett via Growlr for “no strings attached casual sex.”
The 16-year-old said he and Brett had traded explicit pictures, and arranged to meet at a Shell gas station in Coconut Creek. After talking for a few minutes, the pair tried to find a secluded place.
The youth said he and Parson kissed and engaged in reciprocal oral sex, but he got nervous about passersby on foot, so they agreed to move to another location, which they were doing when police intercepted them. Police contacted the 16-year-old’s parents, who decided to pursue charges against Parson.
The 16-year-old later participated in a “double-blind photographic lineup” in which he identified Parson’s picture as the man with whom he’d had oral sex.
Parson was subsequently charged and held at the Main Detention Center in Palm Beach County until his preliminary hearing on Monday in Broward County. He has subsequently been released on bond.
Under the terms of his release, Parson must remain in Florida and avoid contact with minors, including the youth at the center of the case. He also must report twice a week to a Pretrial Services Office.
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