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St. Lucie County man faces charges of forced sex acts
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By staff report
May 31, 2007
A St. Lucie County bail bondsman is on trial for allegedly forcing women he bailed out of jail to have sex with him.
Jerry Smith, 65, of the 3000 block of Third Street in Vero Beach, owner of Dusk to Dawn Bail Bonds in Fort Pierce, is charged with first-degree sexual battery on suspicion of using his position to coerce women — including wives of men he posted bonds for — into sexual acts.
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According to a St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit, the practice went on for at least five years.
On the opening day of testimony Wednesday, a woman whom Smith bailed out of the St. Lucie County Jail for a drunken driving charge said she had sex with him because she was afraid of going back to jail.
The trial before Circuit Court Judge Burton C. Conner and a six-person jury is to continue today.
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Bail bondsman innocent of sexual coercion
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By staff report
June 1, 2007
A six-person jury took less than an hour Thursday afternoon to decide a local bail bondsman was innocent of forcing women he bailed out of jail to have sex with him.
Jerry Smith, 65, of the 3000 block of Third Street in Vero Beach, owner of Dusk to Dawn Bail Bonds in Fort Pierce, teared up as the verdict was was read in Circuit Court Judge Burton C. Conners courtroom: not guilty on two counts of sexual battery and one count of misdemeanor battery.
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Authorities had charged that Smith used his position as a bail bondsman to coerce women including wives of men he posted bonds for into sexual acts. According to a St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit, the practice went on for at least five years.
