Jeffrey ashton endorsements

A Florida judge who was the lead prosecutor in the high-profile Casey Anthony trial has been accused of child abuse, according to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

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Judge Jeffrey Ashton of the 9th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida , which includes Orlando, is facing allegations of "lewd and lascivious molestation on a child under 16" and failure to report child abuse, according to an executive order by DeSantis issued on Oct. State Attorney Andrew Bain notified DeSantis of the allegations, according to the executive order, which reassigned the investigation and potential prosecution to the 10th Circuit State Attorney's Office to avoid a conflict of interest.

The Winter Park Police Department confirmed they are investigating the allegations on Monday but declined to comment further. Ashton's office directed questions to his attorney, Warren Lindsey, who has not returned multiple messages seeking comment. A representative from Bain's office declined to elaborate on the allegations or how Bain became aware of them, saying that criminal cases originate with law enforcement.

Bain's office directed all questions to the 10th Judicial Circuit, which has not responded to requests for comment. Where is Casey Anthony now? Ashton is a former state attorney. He was elected in but lost his seat in , according to the Orlando Sentinel. He came into office after making a name for himself as a lead prosecutor in the Casey Anthony trial.

Anthony had been accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter Caylee in and was found not guilty of murder, manslaughter and child abuse. While in office as state attorney, he was embroiled in controversy for frequenting Ashley Madison , a website primarily used by married people looking to have a discreet affair, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

He was elected to the judicial bench in , serving on domestic violence cases from before his current assignment on civil cases. Hate crime investigation: Stabbing death of 6-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois to be investigated as hate crime.