Bradenton prosecutors believe claims, but say evidence is lacking

BRADENTON -- Prosecutors believe that three former Bradenton police officers had sex with a prostitute while on duty, but say there is not enough evidence to prove a criminal charge in court.

The state attorney's office announced Friday that it will not prosecute former officers Larry Pritchett, William Anderson and Pete Biddlecome, who resigned within weeks of one another this summer when the allegations surfaced.

A convicted prostitute, Dawn Marie Gibson, said two of the officers were on duty when they gave her crack cocaine and money in exchange for sex and "protection" on a number of instances over a two-year period starting in 2005.

Another prostitute, Sarah Wysocki, accused the third officer of having sex with her in a police substation on 14th Street West while the officer was on duty.

The officers worked in Bradenton's Safe Streets Unit, which targeted low-level street crimes such as drug dealing, prostitution and theft.

In a memo, Chief Assistant State Attorney Dennis Nales wrote that "the totality of the circumstances indicates sexual contact" occurred between the officers and the women. But he said Gibson's credibility was suspect and her arrest history and acknowledged drug use made her testimony hard to trust.

Lacking physical evidence and witnesses, proving the allegations of possible police misconduct in front of a jury would have been nearly impossible.

Prosecutors often decline to file charges in cases where there is not enough evidence to prove an allegation.

Gibson passed a polygraph test after she was interviewed by Bradenton's internal affairs investigators, but Nales pointed to "inconsistencies" in her deposition as part of the reason not to file charges.

Biddlecome, who was questioned by internal affairs investigators, was the only one of the officers to admit to receiving a sexual favor from Gibson while he was on duty.

The then-undercover officer gave $10 to Gibson after receiving oral sex, but Biddlecome said the money was meant for a meal, not for the sexual favor. Gibson said she was paid for the oral sex.

One officer's attorney said the decision not to prosecute vindicates his client.

"Working narcotics, doing undercover work is ugly business," said Charlie Britt, Pritchett's attorney. "These things happen all the time. Sometimes there is some truth. In this case there was not."

Bradenton police administrators, who faced pressure from Bradenton City Council members to pursue an outside review of the claims, conducted an internal affairs inquiry and turned their findings over to prosecutors in July.

Chief Michael Radzilowski also asked his detectives to find out whether any supervisors knew of the claims, and he ordered an internal affairs review of Sgt. Troy Ball and Lt. Darrell Akemon.

That investigation was not complete by Friday afternoon. But Nales said in his memo that there was no evidence either Ball or Akemon knew about the allegations before they broke publicly.

Reached Friday, Radzilowski said he was aware of the state's decision not to prosecute but had not seen the memo.

He declined comment.

NEXT TIME??? Oh now all women should feel REAL SAFE! 

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