Equal justice for all? Hardly! Ex deputy gets sweetheart deal.
A former Indian River County Deputy who was arrested after soliciting nude pictures from 16 and 17 years old is getting offered a sweetheart deal by the prosecutors.
He was originally charged with one count of possession of child pornography and two counts of lewd computer solicitation of a child. If convicted, he faced a minimum sentence of 33 months in prison and mandatory sex offender registration.
Under the proposed deal, he would plead guilty to three amended counts of Possession of Obscenity Harmful to Minors. The state is offering a sentencing cap of eight months in county jail, followed by three years of sex offender probation and NO REGISTRATION!
Here’s a guy who used his position of authority to force minors to send them nudes!
Thanks to Eugene V. Debs for pointing out this news to us!
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Outrageous comment below: There is a HUGE difference between a convicted felon and being on the SOR
Cromer’s attorney, Andrew Metcalf, says the deal is appropriate.
“To make a 19-year-old a convicted sex offender for the rest of his life for what he’s being accused of doing is not appropriate,” Metcalf said.
can this be sent to a newspaper or newswire?
Yes – we can do anything we want to. Any individual reading this can forward our post to any news outlet they like. As far as FAC doing it, we are actively and desperately looking for help in the Media Committee. We need volunteers to step up if we want to implement all the ideas we would like to.
I just brought this to Governor DeSantis’s attention. Hopefully his AIDS find it egregious enough to pass on. I believe anyone would pass it on. It is horrible!
Thank you for taking appropriate action. I wrote Gov DeSantis a while back about the injustices and draconian rules associated the sex offender management system but got no response. I would like to think there are fair-minded people and leaders out there that can see the cruelty of how FL and others are handling those charged with these offenses. Thanks.
The governor needs to know about this! I think I’ll bring it to his attention.
In this article there is something far more interesting: a rare moment of judicial and prosecutorial restraint in a state known for its draconian treatment of sex offenses.
Cromer’s actions were manipulative and coercive, and Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers responded with commendable speed and clarity. That alone sets a high bar for institutional accountability.
But what followed is even more remarkable. The State Attorney’s Office offered Cromer a plea deal that sidesteps the standard sentencing guidelines—avoiding the 33-month prison term, lifetime sex offender registration, and the cascade of civil penalties that typically follow.
This isn’t leniency. It’s a quiet admission that Florida’s 1st offense sex offense statutes—especially those governing possession of illicit images and selfies—are often excessive, rigid, and counterproductive. The law treats a manipulated selfie from a teenager as a felony with lifelong consequences, regardless of context or intent. The result? A sprawling registry, widespread homelessness, and a justice system that confuses punishment with protection.
That this moment of discretion occurred in a state governed by presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis, whose administration has championed harsh sex offender laws—is striking. It suggests that even within the machinery of Florida’s punitive framework, there are officials willing to quietly recalibrate justice.
We should pay attention. Not because Cromer deserves sympathy, but because the system deserves scrutiny. And when prosecutors and judges choose proportionality over political optics, that’s courage.
Who’s his attorney? This former officer has committed more offenses than many on the lifetime registration.