A former deputy who worked for a Florida middle school is facing felony charges for alleged abuse after his ex-wife and current spouse reported him, asserting that they saw him hurt his child and that they were mistreated by the man.
Timothy Crane resides on the West Central Florida coast.
Crane has a 3-year-old son with his former wife, Samantha Crane, and he is currently married to Michelle Frome.
Until September 21, Crane was employed with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, and he provided service as a resource deputy at Palm Harbor Middle School.
In July, while Crane was on vacation, both his current and ex-spouses applied for restraining orders against him.
Frome alleged that Crane was verbally and physically abusive to his son and that she had seen him mistreat the boy on more than one occasion. She additionally said that he abuses alcohol, and had tracked her down at a friend’s house where he allegedly arrived with a firearm.
His ex-wife asked for protection for herself and the child that she and Crane have, asserting that he was very abusive to her and their son.
Both of the women were granted their petitions for the injunctions, and Crane was disallowed from contact with both of the women and his child.
Other people reportedly came forward and reported that they had seen Crane spank his son over 2-dozen times and that he tossed the boy into the air while calling him “stupid.”
When his ex-wife inquired about injuries she reported spotted on their son, Crane allegedly told her they were the result of the child falling.
After an investigation into the claims, the sheriff’s office put Crane on an administrative suspension, and he officially resigned in September.
Crane was arrested on October 19, and he is facing charges for two felony counts of child abuse for the allegations.
He was released on bail, and he has stated that he is not guilty.
Due to the large number of people working as first responders that have mental health and self-medication problems, the State of Florida passed a law awarding extra benefits for treatment and recovery.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a domestic violence offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.