Two Seminole County deputies are accused of frequently abandoning their jobs to have an extramarital affair.
Investigators were tipped off about the affair by Deputy Joseph Fetchick’s wife, who found thousands of explicit text messages on her iPad. The device was linked to the deputy’s phone.
According to the investigation, Fetchick and Sgt. Valencia LaRue sent each other 7,000 text messages between Sept. 30, 2013 and Dec. 5, 2013.
Those text messages detail an extramarital affair between the two and several sexual liaisons while one or both were on duty. Investigators said one encounter happened while Fetchick was on duty as a school resource officer at Milwee Middle in Longwood in October.
According to an email exchange, Getchick left the school three hours earlier without telling anyone. Around 1 p.m. Fetchick texted LaRue, “Yes I’ll get there in 15 and take care of business.” LaRue responded, “Ok baby.”
Two days later, a text message exchange shows the two met in a park for a sexual encounter while LaRue was on duty. Fetchick text her, “Meet me by the park boo.” LaRue responded, “Ok love.”
Those text messages are among the more tame messages. Thousands more are too explicit to replicate. But, investigators said the text messages show a pattern of both Fetchick and LaRue abandoning their duty to have sex several times over that two-month period.
Sheriff's investigators found Fetchick and LaRue were guilty of abandoning their posts, conduct unbecoming of an officer and violating department ethics.
Fetchick was fired. LaRue resigned before she could be terminated.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement will soon decide whether to strip their certifications so they cannot be law enforcement officers in the state.