Deputy Arrested for Sending Dead Man Photos to Girlfriend

A Pasco County Sheriff's deputy in Florida has been fired and is facing a felony charge after authorities say he texted photos of a man who committed suicide to his ex-girlfriend.

Deputy Austin Douglas was arrested Thursday on a charge of a custodian providing unauthorized photograph or video or audio recording that depicts or records the killing of a person, a third-degree felony.

Douglas was arrested Thursday and fired Friday, Pasco County Sheriff's Office officials said. He booked into jail and later released on $5,000 bond.

“(We’re) not proud that we have to arrest somebody from the sheriff’s office,” Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said during a press conference Friday afternoon. “But you realize if we’re going to hold ourselves accountable, if we want our citizens to trust us, these are the actions we have to take. I go back to discipline and accountability, if we don’t have those in our agency, we’re going to crumble."

Officials said Douglas had responded to the suicide scene in February and photographed the man's body with his cell phone. He sent multiple photos to his then-girlfriend, officials said.

Douglas had been with the sheriff's office since May 2006. His attorney information wasn't immediately known.

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