VIERA, Fla. – Jurors found state Rep. Bob Allen guilty of soliciting sex after a few hours of deliberation Friday. That verdict sent Allen walking from the courtroom with a damaged career and reputation, WESH 2 News reported.
“I am innocent. I have done nothing wrong,” Allen said. “My family, my God and my constituents know that and we’re not going to stop until we get that justice.”
Jurors never heard testimony from Allen because his team of defense attorneys decided not to present any evidence or testimony to the jury.
Allen was not put on the witness stand to deny the story told by Titusville police officer Daniel Kavanaugh.
Kavanaugh was the undercover officer who said that Allen walked into his bathroom stall, closed the door and agreed to pay $20 to perform a sex act on the officer.
According to Kavanaugh, when he brought up the possibility of a sex act, he testified that Allen agreed to pay $20, saying, “I wouldn?t argue with that.”
Kavanaugh also said that he asked if Allen could “hook him up with $20,” and Allen allegedly said, “Sure, I can do that,” and suggested going to a more private place.
Instead of presenting a traditional defense, Allen’s attorneys argued to the jury that the prosecutor failed to prove Allen broke the law. They said Allen was careful with his words in the bathroom and never specifically described the sex act or named a price — it was Kavanaugh.
But jurors disagreed with the attorneys’ interpretation of the law.
Allen’s defense attorneys also looked for sympathy from the jury.
“You don’t ruin somebody’s life, you don’t ruin somebody’s reputation, you do not ruin them on this kind of evidence,” attorney Greg Eisenmenger said.
He said prosecutors broke technical rules and is promising to move for a new trial.
The maximum sentence for solicitation of prostitution is 60 days in jail, but because Allen is a first-time offender, he may not get any jail time at all.
The judge set Allen’s sentencing for Nov. 15, but it may have to be delayed because state law requires defendants in prostitution-related crimes to undergo HIV testing before sentencing.