There were Two more arrests of Volusia County Beach Patrol officers during an ongoing investigation of alleged illegal sexual activity. Robert Paul Tameris, 44, was arrested Wednesday for a second time, while Capt. Jecoa Simmons, 37, was arrested Thursday morning.
Tameris, who was first arrested in October, is charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor in both cases. Simmons, who was notified by Volusia County last week that he was being fired, faces charges of solicitation to commit perjury in an official proceeding and witness tampering.
In the latest charges, Tameris is accused of having sex with a teenager three times at his home — the first time on her 17th birthday. The State Attorney’s Office did not file charges in the case last year, citing insufficient evidence.
The girl, a former part-time lifeguard for the Beach Patrol, first came forward last year, records show. She said she had sex with Tameris, Simmons and lifeguard Christin Duarte. Duarte was notified last week that he was being fired.
The teenager gave Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators details of sexual encounters with the three men that she said occurred between August and December 2008, according to a report released at the time.
The girl “said she was never forced to have sex with anyone, it was consensual,” according to the report. She also told investigators that no one took any photos or video of her. Cell-phone records showed the teenager spent a lot of time exchanging text hundreds of messages and talking with the three men, according to the report.
According to an arrest affidavit, the girl was 16 when Tameris met her while she was sunbathing on the beach. They had sex 20 to 25 times at the officer’s home, State Attorney’s Investigator Michael K. Taylor said in the report. On at least one occasion, Tameris video-recorded sex with the girl without her knowledge, Taylor said. Tameris also sent a lewd photo to the girl during that period, the report said.
Simmons is accused of contacting a witness in the case that was discovered in December, according to an arrest affidavit. She told investigators she had engaged in sex with both Tameris and Simmons, the report said.
Simmons is accused of telephoning her to ensure that she did not discuss their relationship with investigators. Investigators monitored phone calls on Dec. 15 and 16 during which Simmons told the girl he was calling from a pay phone because he was not sure if his work and cell phone were being monitored and gave the woman instructions to lie and say they did not have a sexual relationship, the report said.
According to the report, he also told the woman to lie and tell investigators he never came to her apartment, but then changed and told her to tell investigators he was at her apartment to visit her infant son.