Republished August 21, 2020 - 3:15 PM
Original Publication Date August 21, 2020 - 2:01 PM
SANFORD, Fla. - A Florida tax collector already facing charges of stalking a political opponent and making fake driver's licenses for himself was charged Friday with the sex trafficking of a minor.
Former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg used his ability to gain personal information from motor vehicle records to engage in commercial sex acts and accessed personal information to engage in “sugar daddy” relationships, including with someone who was between the ages of 14 and 18, according to an indictment.
The superseding indictment filed in federal court said Greenberg caused the minor to be engaged in a commercial sex act, but it didn't offer further details.
His attorney, Vincent Citro, told the Orlando Sentinel that Greenberg denied the charges.
“The government will not be able to prove its case. We look forward to prevailing at trial," Citro said.
Greenberg was arrested in June, originally on charges he created fake social media accounts that falsely suggested a political opponent favoured white supremacy and had engaged in sexual misconduct with a student at a school where he teaches.
In July, he was charged with four counts of using his office to create fake driver licenses for himself.
Greenberg, a Republican, resigned from his job after his arrest. He was elected to office in the Orlando suburb in 2016 and faced controversies throughout his tenure.
News from © The Associated Press, 2020