FLPD Detective Disciplined For Failing To Properly Investigate Sexual Assault Case
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – A longtime Fort Lauderdale Police Department detective is being suspended for failing to properly investigate a sexual assault case and failing to submit evidence in the case.
The case unfolded in 2004 when police received information from a young female victim and her family that a man named Carl Lechner was sexually assaulting the girl inside his home.
According to the investigation into the way Det. Jeffery Jennings handled the case, investigators decided to give the veteran detective a two-day suspension without pay.
It's a punishment the victim in the case says is not nearly enough.
"Two days off work sounds like a vacation to me, personally, but at least something was done," the victim told CBS4's Carey Codd.
The victim told CBS4 News that she was just 3 years old when Lechner – a longtime gymnastics coach – began raping her.
She said she told her story to Det. Jennings, but when she had trouble confronting Lechner over the phone with the allegations, Jennings decided the girl might not be telling the truth.
Lechner denied touching the girl and the case was exceptionally cleared with no charges filed.
It still angers this victim.
"I had to live with what Carl did to me," the victim said. "I had to go to therapy. I tried to kill myself at one point because I didn't think I was worthy."
In the close-out letter of the investigation, which was concluded January 28, investigators say Jennings never spoke to Lechner's children nor visited his home to try and corroborate the victim's story.
Police say Jennings knew Lechner had access to children as the owner of a gymnasium but never told Lechner's wife about the allegations.
The documents show that Jennings did not preserve the evidence in case charges could be filed at a later time.
"Because of that failure, Carl's probably never gonna serve time for what he did to me," the victim said. "For him to not to save evidence just in case something came up, that hurts."
Investigators say it wasn't clear why Jennings decided to close the case and it was never presented to the Broward State Attorney's Office for review.
The allegations involving this woman came to light last year after Lechner was arrested for possessing child pornography – charges he still faces.
The Broward Sheriff's Office arrested Lechner for the sexual assault of this woman but prosecutors declined to go forward with the case.
The victim hopes Lechner gets what he deserves.
"I don't ever want him to have the opportunity to do to anyone what he did to me," she said. "I don't ever want him to be around kids. I don't ever want him to get out of prison because he doesn't deserve it."
Capt. Frank Sousa, a spokesperson for the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, told CBS4 News, "The Fort Lauderdale Police Department's concern is justice for the victim. With regards to this case, our policies and procedures have been updated which would not allow for this case to be exceptionally cleared today. It would require supervisory review and to go to the State Attorney's Office."
CBS4 was told that Det. Jennings is appealing his punishment.
