Pinellas County Sheriff’s Deputy Resigns Over Prostitute Allegations

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) _ A Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputy has resigned over allegations of misconduct including picking up a prostitute.

The Tampa Bay Times (http://bit.ly/130Y6SP ) reports that Deputy Robert Johnson resigned Monday after an internal investigation found that he lied to detectives about his actions Sept. 12.

That’s when Clearwater police saw him picking up a prostitute.

The investigation also found that Johnson violated policy by leaving work early and telling his ex-wife that she was being investigation for doctor shopping.

None of the incidents resulted in criminal charges.

But sheriff’s officials say Johnson’s actions damaged his integrity and could have compromised a criminal investigation.

The Times reports Johnson told police he was giving the prostitute a ride home after seeing her running like she were trying to get away from someone.