Bartow officer accused of sex party with teen girls has new charges - one a life felony
The former Bartow police officer arrested last week on charges that he held a drug- and alcohol-fueled sex party with teenage girls has been charged with additional crimes, including a life felony, after the Polk County Sheriff's Office said another victim came forward.
Markanthony Fernandez, 24, of Lake Wales was arrested May 28 and charged with six misdemeanors and four felonies, including promotion of a juvenile in a sexual performance, use of a juvenile in a sexual performance and battery by strangulation.
In announcing the arrest last week, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Acting Bartow Police Chief Stephen Walker said videos showed four girls — two of whom were 18, one 17 and one 16 — at Fernandez's apartment in various states of undress using alcohol, THC gummies and smoking THC vape pens. In at least one video, the 17-year-old was directed by Fernandez to perform a sex act, according to the sheriff.
Upon interviewing the girls, Judd said the 18-year-old told deputies Fernandez had choked her until she fell unconscious. The teen told deputies she gave Fernandez permission because Fernandez had said it was a sexual kink.
The 17-year-old girl also told deputies Fernandez choked her, Judd said, to the extent she was scared of him. Fernandez is accused of going into a bedroom of his home where the 16-year-old was, beginning to choke and inappropriately touching her.
In a news release Tuesday morning, the Sheriff's Office said a comment on a Facebook post about Fernandez's arrest last week indicated the commenter might also be a victim.
PCSO detectives contacted the adult woman, who told them Fernandez had found her on Facebook and became persistent about going out on a date. She eventually agreed. But she told detectives that during the date, Fernandez slapped her, hit her with a fist and choked her to the point she couldn’t breathe. She said she screamed and begged Fernandez to stop as he sexually battered her, according to the Sheriff's Office.
The woman provided detectives with text messages from Fernandez that showed he attempted several times to solicit her for sex, but she refused. The Sheriff's Office said a detective attempted to speak to Fernandez in the Polk County Jail about the new accusations against him, but he declined to make a statement.
Fernandez's additional charges include aggravated stalking, a third-degree felony, and sexual battery with physical force, which carries a possible life sentence.
Fernandez first became a Bartow police officer in September 2020, before being hired by Polk County Sheriff's Office in October 2021. He transferred back to the Bartow Police Department in December 2022. He has been on paid administrative leave since February, Walker said.
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At the time of his arrest, Fernandez refused to submit his resignation, Judd said, and he had a a pre-disciplinary hearing scheduled for Monday in accordance with Florida's Law Enforcement Officers' Bill of Rights. Brian Bruchey, a spokesman for the Sheriff's Office, said Tuesday that Fernandez was officially fired Monday.
Fernandez previously was involved in an officer-involved shooting in September. Judd said it was ruled justified by the State Attorney's Office as he was pursuing an armed robbery suspect in Highland City who was attempting to evade law enforcement, and pulled a gun on officers once surrounded.
Previous reporting from Ledger reporter Sara-Megan Walsh was used in this report.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Former Bartow officer faces new charges, including a life felony
