VOLUSIA EXPOSED

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." - Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

THIS ARTICLE IS BEING OFFERED AS A JOURNALISTIC EDITORIAL,
NO LEGAL OPINION, OR AUTHORITY, SHOULD BE INFERRED

Introduction

While the primary target of this article, will be to explore and expose the perverse sexual culture within the ranks of the Volusia County Beach Safety Division, in the particular, it serves to expose - this article will present our OPINION that this "perverse sexual culture" is alive and well within most, if not all Volusia County law enforcement agencies.

THEREFORE, please avail yourself to the fact - that this article will be highlighting several independent incidents of sexual perversion by law enforcement officers within several local policing agencies. Please realize that such in NOT an "in depth" coverage of this illegal and perverse culture - our coverage merely peels back a few layers of this corruption onion.

In this publication's OPINION - the proliferation of this depravity within our local law enforcement ranks can be squarely assigned to failures within the local Office of the State Attorney. (more on this a little later)

Volusia Beach Patrol's Shameful History
Beach Safety Officers Having Sex With Under-Age Lifeguards

In 2009 - the Volusia County Beach Safety suffered a major scandal, when it was discovered, that a trusted law enforcement officer was having sex with two underaged girls, one being a Volusia County junior lifeguard.

Former Officer Robert "Beautiful Bobby" Tameris would eventually ONLY be sentenced to eighteen (18) months in prison. (see below linked media article)

Recently (May 2024), a former local high school teacher was sentenced to twenty-one (21) years in prison for having sexual relations with underaged high school students. (see below linked media article)

Why is it that given the same crime (sex with minors) a police officer would only be sentenced to less than two (2) years in prison, but a high school teacher is sentenced to over (2) decades in prison? (both were prosecuted by the same State Attorney's office)
(Refer to the two below linked media articles for addition information and comparison)

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RELATED MEDIA ARTICLE

Protecting The Police
Even At The Expense Of Our Children

Some may draw the conclusion, that local law enforcement agencies and prosecutors, have a much higher tolerance for police officers' illegal sexual romps with underaged teenagers, than they do with teachers doing the same.

Maybe, it's just this simple - area prosecutors are more amenable to the perverted wants, needs and sexual desires or our local police officers, than they are fans of the rock group The Police, and their 1980 hit song "Don't Stand So Close To Me".

(see The Police's music video - "Don't Stand So Close To Me" ==>>)

The Police ~ "Don't Stand So Close To Me"

The Forbidden Fruit

Additionally, local prosecutors are by definition "law enforcement officers", therefore, maybe these prosecutors desire to establish a practice of being easy on these pedophile police officers, just in case they (prosecutors) too develop a taste for this forbidden fruit (sex with minors).

Additional Allegations
Within Beach Safety

Around the same time frame Officer Tameris was engaging in his illegal carnal knowledge, there were similar underaged sex allegations being lodged against Volusia Beach Safety Officer Curt Geber.

While the County was busy denying these Geber allegations - Geber quietly resigned from the Beach Safety Department. Unlike Officer Tameris, and - media reports, and court records, indicate that Officer Geber was never criminally charged (see below media article).

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RELATED MEDIA ARTICLE

Sexual Assaults By Police Officers
A Rite Of Passage, And A Fact Of Life?

According to the , the culture within Beach Safety tolerated teenage girls having sex with older lifeguards / police officers - such was considered a "rite of passage," and coerced sex "was a regular fact of life". (more shortly - on the topics of coerced sex and sexual assaults on minors)

A decade ago - many alleged, that the Volusia County government was putting more effort in covering up these sex scandals, than they were in exposing this illegal culture. The County's failure to properly address these depraved behaviors, would only go to ensure that there would be other victims of these badged perverts.

Harassment & Fear Of Retaliation

Claims within a lawsuit filing (see above linked media article), alleged that a 17-year-old female lifeguard was harassed and embarrassed after she reported to county officials that she had sexual contact with a "popular officer."

This publication suspects that similar "harassment and embarrassment" concerns influenced a two year delay, in yet another 16-year-old junior life guard reporting her 2018 sexual encounters with adult Police Officer, David Rapoza.

Sexual Assaults & Harassment
Unbridled Problems Within Volusia's
Law Enforcement Agencies

Harassment, embarrassment, and fear of termination were also strong influencers regarding the recent (2024) sexual harassment scandal within the Holly Hill police department (HHPD).

As posted within The County Line - December 2014
The County Line is a Volusia County government employee news letter publication.

Several adult women within the HHPD were reluctant that were transpiring within the senior administration of HHPD (see media reporting - as well as the 104 page internal affairs report - below, right of page ===>>).

Since, it took several years for the adult women within the HHPD to find the courage to report the sexual harassment that was on-going within their agency, it is impressive that it only took two years for a teenage girl to rustle up the courage to report that she had been raped by Officer Rapoza?

The Allegations Against Beach Safety
Officer David Rapoza

In 2020 - a female lifeguard would allege that in 2018, and over a ten (10) month period, while she was 16-years of age, and employed as a Volusia County junior lifeguard, then 26-year-old Beach Safety Officer David Rapoza engaged her in sexual acts - to include forcible rape (click here to read the recent 2024 investigative report).

Accordingly , some of these sexual encounters transpired while Officer Rapoza was on-duty, and in full uniform.

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RELATED MEDIA ARTICLE

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Records indicate (see right of page ==>) that in 2020, Daytona Beach PD conducted a criminal investigation into these allegations - that ended with an "unfounded" determination. Was this "determination" an example of one law enforcement agency "protecting" another law enforcement agency from a sex scandal - we (VolusiaExposed.Com) believe that it was.

The County's own 2020 internal affairs "investigation" ONLY sustained Officer Rapoza's (see document - right of page ==>), as was documented on the that they submitted to

the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) (see CJSTC 61 report).

The underage sex allegations lodged against Officer Rapoza were not mentioned within the 2020 reporting document to FDLE.

In 2024 - four years after the completion of the 2020 "investigation", AND six years after these sexual assaults on a minor - did Volusia County officials . (see February 2024 updated FDLE reporting forms ==>>)

2024
Newest Under-Age Sexual Allegations
Lodged Against Volusia Beach Safety

Click On Below Image
To Review Entire Report

THIS REPORT WILL BE DISTURBING TO SOME READERS

2024 Review
Charges Administratively Sustained, BUT No Criminal Charges Were Filed

Similar to the Officer Geber incident, records support, that Officer Rapoza was never criminally charged.

However, the county's 2024 investigation did sustain at an administrative level - some of the sex crimes lodged against former Officer Rapoza. (more on this a little later - food for thought - in Florida, can a 16 year-old "consent" to having sex with a 26 year-old adult? APPARENTLY - Volusia County Investigator Jessica Paugh is of the belief that a 16 year-old girl can consent to a sexual relationship with a 26 year old man.)

The 2023-2024 Re-Investigations Of Several Misconduct Allegations
Within The County Department Of Public Protection

For the purpose of this article - it is important for the reader to realize that the County's Department of Public Protection (VCDPP) incorporates several county divisions - including, but not limited to - the county jail (Corrections Division) and the Beach Safety Division.

In late 2023 and early 2024 - Volusia County officials would alleged that their lead internal affairs investigator within the Volusia County Department of Public Protection (VCDPP) - Captain Dave Vanis had for years, failed to fully investigate, and report, allegations of misconduct filed against law enforcement and correctional officers. (more on this shortly - regarding the veracity of the allegations lodged against Captain Vanis)

Vanis' alleged misconduct called into question the veracity of several internal affairs investigations within the VCDPP, including the Rapoza allegations - therefore, the rationale for the 2024 review of the Rapoza allegations.

The Catalyst For The Investigative Reviews

The catalyst for this review of Captain Vanis' past investigative findings - was directly connected to former Volusia County Director of Corrections (county jail), Mark Flowers allegations that county officials were not properly investigating officer misconduct allegations - in the particular, allegations of excessive use of force by correctional officers. (see below linked media articles for additional information)

Mr. Flowers has an on-going "whistler blower" lawsuit against the Volusia County government, in which he alleges that his employment termination was in retaliation for him reporting that officer misconduct allegations were not being properly investigated or reported.

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RELATED MEDIA ARTICLE

Neither Defending Or Coming To The Aid Of Director Flowers Or Investigator Vanis

This publication can neither defend or come to the aid of either Director Flowers or Investigator Vanis. We suspect both were up to their necks in the covering up of law enforcement misconduct. HOWEVER - we do NOT believe that either were acting as "rogue agents", rather we suspect that both were acting with the full authority and knowledge of senior county administrators. We forward the OPINION that senior county officials used both (Vanis & Flowers) as "scapegoats" in an effort to cover-up their (senior administrators) involvement in these corrupt practices.

Internal Affairs Investigator Captain Dave Vanis
Liar, Liar - Pants On Fire OR County Scapegoat!?

Recently (2023-2024) - it was announced by County officials that their internal affairs investigator, Captain Dave Vanis had been falsifying investigative reports. (see below right of page for IA report filed against Vanis)

Again, Captain Vanis was the internal affairs investigator assigned to the Volusia County Department of Public Protection - which incorporated several county divisions, including Beach Safety, Corrections, Animal Control, and others.

As per - Captain Vanis' nefarious falsification of investigative reports / findings had been on-going for several years - affecting numerous internal affairs investigations - including the 2020 reported sexual perversions of Beach Safety Officer Dave Rapoza.

In 2020, shortly after the victim reported her under-age sexual encounters with Officer Rapoza - Volusia County Beach Safety "opened" an internal affairs investigation into the victim's allegations.

Recently (January 2024) Volusia County officials (see below right of page).

Again, the rationale for the "re-investigation" was attached to an investigative finding (by county officials - click here to read, or see right of page) that former Internal Affairs Investigator Captain Dave Vanis had falsified reporting documents to the FDLE, involving several independent allegations of misconduct by officers within the Volusia County Department of Public Protection.

Eventually (2024), County officials would admit that the accuracy, and the full reporting of Officer Rapoza's misconduct were negatively affected by Captain Vanis' sustained misconduct. In short, the internal and criminal investigations into Rapoza's misconduct, and several other investigations had been botched. (see below right of page)

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST CAPTAIN VANIS

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To Review Entire Report

CLICK BELOW TO REVIEW CAPTAIN VANIS' IA REPORT

Children Having "Consenual" Sex?
"What The F*ck ... Over.. !!" (speaking as if he was on the police radio)" ~ Sgt. Ted Godfrey, U.S. Army / Volusia Corrections (retired / deceased)

County Human Resources Manager, Jessica Paugh was assigned to review, and essentially re-investigate all of Investigator Vanis' internal affairs findings.

This publication (VolusiaExposed.Com) takes issue with Investigator Paugh's apparent determination, that some of the sexual encounters between the junior under-age lifeguard and Officer Rapoza were "consensual".

Based on our read of - we believe all of these sexual encounters were all "statutory" rapes, with at least one qualifying as a "forcible" rape.

Paugh has an extensive law enforcement background - including, but NOT limited to - once holding the title as New Smyrna Beach's Deputy Police Chief, as well as being an administrator within a local college's criminal justice training center. Paugh is very much aware of criminal statutes, and the reporting requirements to FDLE regarding sustained moral character standards violation(s) (as defined within FAC 11B-27.0011 - CLICK HERE TO REVIEW).

Given the facts that the junior lifeguard was 16 years old and Officer Rapoza was 26 years old - the teenager could NOT have legally consented to the sexual encounters.

Florida has, since 2007 - a that allows a consensual sexual relationship between a teenager (16-17) and an adult - should the adult partner be only slightly older. Rapoza's age far exceeded this statutory exemption.

We submit for our readers' consideration - our OPINION - that similar to the Daytona Beach PD's 2020 criminal investigation - Investigator Paugh provided both former Officer Rapoza and the Beach Safety Department some "legal shade" regarding these on duty sexual assaults of a child.

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To Review Entire Report

CLICK BELOW TO REVIEW
INVESTIGATOR PAUGH'S REPORT

We further suspect, that Investigator Paugh was not acting as a "rogue agent" in providing this "legal shade". Rather, we express the belief, that Paugh acted under the behest of senior county administrators - some of the very same administrators, that had slaughtered the careers of scapegoats Director Flowers and Investigator Vanis.

Sexual Perversions Within Local Law Enforcement
A Much Larger Problem Than Openly Admitted To

In TRUTH, it is our expanded OPINION, that the entire local law enforcement community, including, but not limited to - Beach Safety, County Jail, Sheriff's Office, and several city police departments - all have a high tolerance for these perverted sexual behaviors by their sworn staff. That in concert with the local State Attorney - these perverted sexual offenders usually suffer little to no repercussions for their behaviors.

Focusing back to the recent sexual harassment scandal out of the Holly Hill PD - the Volusia County Sheriff's Office was chosen to investigate these allegations.

The Few, The Depraved
The Perversed, The VSO !

While Sheriff Mike Chitwood may be proud of the investigation his staff did investigating the HHPD allegations - the Volusia Sheriff's Office has it's own past and recent histories of sexual depravity.

In 2017, according to media reports and sheriff office's documents - apparently Sheriff Chitwood has at least one deputy using the threat of his authority, in obtaining sexual favors from women that had been Court ordered into the Drug Court jail diversion program (see video - media article - and IA report - right of page ==>>).

OUR MUSICAL DEBUT
"If you don't blow the cop, then be prepared to reside in a cellblock !" If you don't want to tickle his chimes, then don't do the crime... don't do it !" (sung to the theme song of the 1970s TV show Baretta) EAT YOU HEART OUT SAMMY DAVIS JR.

Recently (2024), Volusia County Deputy Stephen Corbin was arrested for kidnapping a woman off of the street - threatening her with a false arrest, if she failed to provide him with sexual favors (see video and media article - right of page ==>>).

It has ONLY been less that a year, since this publication reported on .

The above are just a few examples of the depravity within the VSO - several other examples were topics of other VolusiaExposed.Com articles (see some other examples within the below linked articles).

The Judicial Railroading And
Trafficking Of A Child

We have voiced concerns regarding the recent criminal prosecution of a then fifteen year old school girl. We, forward our suspicions that and her juvenile co-defendant fired military rounds from a AK-47 rifle at his deputies.

We suspect that - that the criminal justice system then organized a "railroading" disposition of her criminal case - whereas she received over a seventy year department of corrections sentence - thereby insuring her silence forever (see below linked article).

Drug Court Deputy - Sexual Favors In Exchange For Law Enforcement Favors

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RELATED MEDIA ARTICLE

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Volusia Sheriff Office's Internal Affairs Report On Deputy Bryan Scott Barnett

Volusia Deputy - Kidnaps - Then Demands Sex From Woman - Threatens Her With Jail

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RELATED MEDIA ARTICLE

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Our Closing Thoughts...
Bang A Gong, Get It On !

It is our OPINION, when local law enforcement (LE) departments investigate each other, cover-ups will run a muck ! The LE culture of sexualizing women has been - and still is - alive and well within local LE agencies. This culture can not be changed from the bottom up. Change will only come when the misogyny demons are exorcised from the upper administrations of these LE agencies.

With the above thoughts in mind - VolusiaExposed.Com is looking into

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RELATED MEDIA ARTICLE

Records clearly indicate that in 2016, Sheriff Chitwood was still the Chief of Police at Daytona Beach PD. So, why would Chief Chitwood not have filed criminal charges against Police Officer Michelle Smith for lying and firing gun shots at innocent civilians? In 2021, Sheriff Chitwood had zero problems seeking manufactured charges against a fourteen year-old school girl - by falsely stating that she had participated in firing military rounds at his deputies?

Prior to the publication of this article, . We welcomed them to prior us with any corrections or comments they felt were appropriate. We did NOT receive any responses prior to the publication of this article.

....stand by to stand by .... there is surely more to come of this ...............

T. REX ~ "Bang A Gong - Get It On"

We look forward to your comments on this situation.
Drop us a line to let us know what you think.

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