Fla. AG demands state attorney prosecute child predators

APOPKA, Fla.— Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued a letter to a state attorney after her office declined to prosecute what his office calls two child predators.

Uthmeier sent the letter September 26 to Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique Worrell regarding cases involving Kevin Chapman, 61, who was arrested for masturbating on a public park bench in front of children, and Thomas Dolgos, 47, who shared dozens of images of toddler and infant sexual abuse material.

Worrell, who held a press conference later Friday, called Uthmeier’s statements “factually-inaccurate,” “politically-motivated,” “dangerous” and “a great dog-and-pony show.”

“Central Florida deserves better than a state attorney who prioritizes the guilty over protecting the innocent,” Uthmeier said Friday. “Once again, the question of Monique Worrell’s fitness to hold an office of public trust is unavoidable.

“Whether these dismissals stemmed from malice or incompetence, they were inexcusable — and families in Central Florida continue to pay the price for her failures.”

Statewide Prosecutor Brad McVay agreed.

“Both as a father and a prosecutor, the actions, or lack thereof, of State Attorney Worrell are antithetical to our way of law and continue to place and keep our most vulnerable in danger’s way,” McVay said. “Under Attorney General Uthmeier’s leadership, and my direction of the Office of Statewide Prosecution, we will hold this perpetrator accountable to the fullest.”

U.S. Representative Laurel Lee also attending the press conference Friday where Uthmeier announced the action.

“I appreciate the leadership of Attorney General Uthmeier and Statewide Prosecutor McVay in confronting the serious public safety risks that arise when violent offenders are released back into our communities,” Lee said. “Domestic violence and gun crimes are not minor offenses — they are clear indicators of escalating danger.

“As a former prosecutor and judge, I know that every charging decision is also a safety decision, with real consequences for families across Florida. … Protecting our communities and restoring trust in the justice system must always remain our top priority.”

The Chapman incident occurred August 16 at Kit Land Nelson Park in Apopka, where a father and his two-year-old son witnessed the lewd behavior. According to witness statements, video evidence, and police reports, Chapman masturbated on a bench near a splash pad filled with children. The arresting officer and the park manager both confirmed the conduct, and Chapman was taken into custody.

Worrell’s office declined file charges and did not pursue pretrial detention. Florida statute defines such conduct as felony lewd and lascivious exhibition when committed in the presence of children under sixteen.

Also, Worrell’s office recently dismissed a case involving Dolgos, who possessed and distributed child sexual abuse material — including infants and toddlers — even though the case already was being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.

After Worrell’s office dropped all charges, the defendant fled the state. But he was arrested at the Canadian border, extradited and is now facing dozens of additional charges.

During her press conference Friday, Worrell said Uthmeier wants people to believe she personally reviews and makes decisions on the “thousands of cases” that come through her office every day.

She said the attorney who handled the Chapman determined charges could not be brought after interviewing the father last week.

“(The father) confirmed that the child did not see anything and wasn’t aware of what was happening,” she said. “(The attorney) explained that based on the language of the statute, he could not charge the charge of exhibition — which would have been the felony in the case — and he also explained that because no other adult saw the defendant’s penis, that he could not charge any of the misdemeanor crimes of exposure.”

Regarding the Dolgos case, Worrell said Uthmeier’s office sent her a notice of prosecuting authority in the case June 10. The AG’s office filed its charges July 8, so Worrell’s office closed out its handling of the case July 10.

“It is dishonest and disingenuous for the attorney general to get up there and say that we dropped the charges in this case,” Worrell said. “The attorney general’s behavior would be laughable if the consequences weren’t so serious.

“His leadership is what happens when arrogance meets incompetence, a spectacle unfit for serious times. He struts and shouts as if volume can mask ignorance but all he’s proven is that he’s a punchline in a job that demands serious leadership.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Worrell in 2023 for “refusing to faithfully enforce the laws of Florida.” DeSanti appointed Andrew Bain to replace Worrell, but Worrell defeated Bain in the 2024 election.

Uthmeier also has been critical of Worrell, including an incident earlier this month in which he said she needed to withdraw the prosecution of a woman charged with murder in a road-rage incident. And in April, he was critical of her policy requiring law enforcement to make arrests in most cases before sending them to her office for possible prosecution.

Worrell says both Uthmeier and DeSantis repeatedly have targeted her for political gain.

“If you remember back to the time when I was removed last time, it was surrounding the governor’s presidential campaign, and he needed to score points among his base by showing that he was, you know, ‘big bad Ron,’ and he was removing elected officials left and right,” Worrell said Friday. “Similarly, you have an attorney general who wants to actually be elected, so he keeps coming here, he keeps coming here, he keeps coming here; and he has these press conferences — that I haven’t seen one that was based on facts yet — but it gives him airtime.

“It gives him what’s called ‘earned media’ so he can stand in front of the public, but here is what my message is for the public: Don’t elect a guy who isn’t concerned with getting it right. Don’t elect a guy who’s not concerned with getting it right, because in law and justice, getting it right is all we have.”