Florida
Judge sets $1.4M bond for pastor accused of fleeing to Texas after sexually abusing girl in Florida Keys
MARATHON, Fla. – A 62-year-old man who served as a First Baptist Church pastor when a teenage girl accused him of giving her a spiked drink and sexually abusing her appeared in court on Saturday in the Florida Keys.
Rev. Monte LaVelle Chitty, a registered police volunteer, appeared before Monroe County Circuit Judge James W. Morgan III at the Marathon Courthouse wearing a light blue jumpsuit and handcuffs.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Chitty on March 4 after they found incriminating text messages to the girl including, “I prefer you pass out after I play not before” and “You can’t even remember what I did.”
He was released on a $75,000 bond.
“While you were out on bail, you committed a new crime,” Morgan said about his failure to appear in court.
According to deputies, Chitty had fled to Texas, and the U.S. Marshals Service arrested him on April 5 at Woodville on Morgan’s warrant.
Chitty was facing charges of sexual battery on a child, delinquency of a minor, and lewd and lascivious molestation on a child.
Morgan set his bond for the sexual battery charge at $1 million. The bonds for the other two charges were $300,000, and the bond for the failure to appear charge was $100,000, so the total bond is $1.4 million.
“If you post bail, I am ordering you to report to pre-trial services once a week,” Morgan told Chitty in court.
The judge also ordered Chitty to wear a GPS ankle monitor and cover its cost.
According to Alaska Public Media, in Southwest Alaska, authorities feared there were other victims since he had also served as a pastor at the Cold Bay Chapel and as a village public safety officer in the Alaskan communities of False Pass and Akutan.
Local 10 News Reporter Janine Stanwood and Assignment Desk Editor Joyce Grace Ortega contributed to this report.
Copyright 2024 by WPLG Local10.com – All rights reserved.
A Florida woman confessed to stabbing her 76-year-old roommate to death before covering his body with a tarp, stealing his truck and driving away from the scene, according to authorities.
The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as Shannon R. Giblin, 48.
Shannon R. Giblin (Photo: Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office)
In a news release, the sheriff’s office said deputies were dispatched to a home on Sunday after they received a report about a person who was not breathing. When they arrived at the home, they found a man, later identified as Paul De Wayne Bradley, who was dead.
Police said they tracked Giblin down in Bradley’s truck, which was missing from the driveway, in Sarasota County.
“As Charlotte County detectives questioned Giblin, she provided a confession to stabbing Bradley following an argument,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said in the release.
“After realizing that the victim was beyond help, Giblin then covered Bradley with a tarp and left the scene in the victim’s pickup truck,” Prummell added.
Online jail records show Giblin was charged with second-degree murder, as well as grand theft of a motor vehicle.
“I want to recognize my Major Crimes detectives who worked this case through the night and identified the suspect quickly,” Prummell said. “They truly show a dedication to their craft and the results are irrefutable. I also want to thank the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for their quick actions in locating and detaining her based on the intelligence my team was able to share. As I have always said, Southwest Florida is fortunate to have law enforcement who work together so effectively for the people we serve.”
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Giblin is being held without bond, according to the release.
There are two No Kings protests planned for the Treasure Coast; one in Stuart and one in Fort Pierce.
No Kings Day protests are scheduled for March 28, with over a thousand protests planned across the United States.
Organizers say the No Kings events will challenge President Donald Trump as he escalates “his attempts to control us.” Dozens of protests are planned across Florida, including two on the Treasure Coast.
Here’s what to know about the protests.
What is a No Kings protest?
No Kings is a nationwide protest organized in response to President Donald Trump and his administration.
“It is on us, the people, to show that we will fight to protect one another and our country,” according to the nokings.org website. “If he believes we will roll over and allow him to take our freedoms, he is mistaken.”
One core principle of No Kings is a commitment to nonviolent action. The organization’s website states participants should seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with dissenters and act lawfully.
No Kings protest in Stuart
No Kings protest in Fort Pierce
No Kings protests in Florida
There are dozens of protests planned across Florida, including two on the Treasure Coast, with one in Stuart and one in Fort Pierce. Find a protest near you.
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
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