Ocala jury finds controversial ex-prison guard guilty of molesting girl younger than 12
A little more than two months after then-Lt. Keith Mitchell Turner was accused of severely beating a female inmate at a state prison, he was arrested in an unrelated case and accused of sexually abusing two girls.
Last month, state prosecutors declined to charge Turner in the prison case, saying they could not find any evidence of the corrections officer mistreating the inmate, even though they said that the woman "suffered great bodily harm and permanent disability."
On Wednesday, Turner, who is no longer a corrections officer, was in an Ocala courtroom fighting to stay out of prison himself. But a jury found him guilty of two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child younger than 12.
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When the verdict was read aloud in the courtroom on Wednesday, Turner, wearing a suit, took a few steps to his left, walked back to his chair and bowed his head with his hands behind his back. Before he was handcuffed, the 37-year-old man turned to family members sitting behind him and whispered that he loved them.
Turner still faces additional sex charges involving the second girl.
Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon told Assistant State Attorney Adam Smith and Turner's lawyer, Christopher Dunham of Dunham and Ingram, an Ocala law firm, that she will hold a hearing in September to discuss next steps. By then, the court will know the status of Turner's other case.
For now, his sentencing is on hold and he is being held at the Marion County Jail.
"Our office is very pleased with the jury’s verdict today and thankful for their service. More importantly, however, I applaud the courage of the victim and her family and hope this verdict provides some closure," Chief Assistant State Attorney Walter Forgie said.
Dunham told a Star-Banner reporter that his client faces anywhere from a minimum mandatory of 25 years in prison to life behind bars. He called Wednesday's one-day trial "a difficult case," with "very serious charges."
Reactions to Turner's guilty verdict
"Karma is a silly bitch and I'm not surprised. My heart goes out to all of the victims that have been left on the trail of this man. I pray they may find peace to be able to move on with their lives," Ryan Andrews, of the Andrews Law Firm in Tallahassee, said when he was told about the verdict. Andrews represented Cheryl Weimar, the inmate allegedly beaten by Turner and another corrections officer, Ryan Dionne.
After Turner was taken into custody by sheriff's deputies in the sex cases in November 2019, he was fired from his job at Lowell Correctional Institution, the largest all-female state prison, which is located north of Ocala.
State officials said Turner had worked for the Florida Department of Corrections since 2004, except for a voluntary separation of 11 months in 2006 and 2007.
In late August 2019, Turner and former Corrections Officer Ryan Dionne were with Weimar at Lowell when she was injured during transportation.
Although neither man was charged with injuring Weimar, the former inmate received a $4.65 million settlement in a lawsuit filed against the FDOC. Weimar was paralyzed during the incident and now lives in a care home. The DOC did not admit any wrongdoing when settling the lawsuit.
"He (Turner) belongs in prison. If you get caught doing the crime, then you do the time," Weimar said by phone Wednesday after being informed of the verdict.
Another former prison inmate, Debra Bennett-Austin, who knew Turner and sat in the courtroom during Wednesday's trial, said after the verdict was announced: "I'm in tears, and I'm glad he's held accountable."
The founder of a nonprofit organization called Change Comes Now, she and three others were outside the courthouse Wednesday morning holding signs. She said she was there to support the victims in Turner's sex cases and Weimar.
Victim's testimony
In Turner's sex abuse case, sheriff's deputies said they were notified in early August 2019 that a girl told a family member that she had been a victim of sexual abuse that began around 2012. The child was younger than 12 when the reported abuse took place, deputies were told.
During their investigation, deputies were told about a second girl. Deputies were told that Turner had reportedly performed sexual acts on the second child, officials said.
The Star-Banner is not releasing the name of the victims or their relatives to protect their identities.
In her testimony on Wednesday, the victim in this case said Turner touched her private area, and forced her to touch his, when they were watching a college football game on TV.
"I was very confused," she testified, telling the court that she "was scared to get up."
She said the inappropriate behavior went on for a while until she got up and went to the bathroom, where she cried.
The juvenile said she never told anyone about what happened until the next day. She said she told another girl, who urged her to tell someone. But she never did, for several reasons. One reason: She felt no one would believe her.
No one knew about the incident until years later, when a detective called the victim's mother asking about it.
Defense attorney Dunham questioned the child about what she remembered and asked for a step-by-step account of what happened.
Turner testified in his own defense
Both prosecutor Smith and Dunham took turns quizzing several of the prosecution witnesses. They included the victim's family members and the detective in charge of the case, Ian Simpson of the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Smith was finished with his case shortly after 11 a.m. Dunham asked for an acquittal, but it was denied by the judge.
The defense lawyer called two people to the stand. One of them was Turner.
Turner said although the victim has visited his residence multiple times, he never touched the girl.
Smith asked Turner if he took advantage of the child and he said no. The prosecutor asked him if it was a coincidence that the victim made up the allegations and he said yes.
The defense rested after Turner testified, some time after 1 p.m.
The verdict
In closing arguments, Dunham told jurors to question whether the incident occurred and mentioned that the victim had made inconsistent statements.
Smith said the victim had an accurate memory of what occurred.
The six-member jury – three men and three women – left the courtroom at 2:25 p.m. for their deliberations.
Roughly 40 minutes into their discussion, jurors had three questions for the court. The questions had to do with a prosecutor's witness. Jurors were told that the answers they were seeking were not in evidence.
They returned to the jury room and at 3:54 p.m. announced they had made a decision. Some of the victim's family members held hands as they waited for the verdict to be announced.
Turner went to area where his family was sitting and hugged and kissed them. He went to the defense table and remained standing until jurors returned to the courtroom. He was still standing when the verdict was read aloud at 4:03 p.m.
Contact Austin L. Miller at austin.miller@starbanner.com.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala jury finds ex-Florida prison guard guilty of molesting child
