Brett Parson was arrested in February. (Blade file photo by Michael Key)
A Broward County judge approved a request by former D.C. police lieutenant Brett Parson allowing him to return to his D.C. home and to spend the summer at his Provincetown, Massachusetts residence while he awaits the start of his trial on two counts of unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
In a June 9 order, Circuit Court Judge Tim Bailey reversed an earlier order handed down by another judge requiring Parson to remain in Florida at the home of his parents in Boca Raton until further notice from the court.
The earlier order came shortly after Parson’s arrest on Feb. 12 on charges that he allegedly had sex with a 16-year-old boy in violation of Florida’s age of consent law, which is 18, according to an arrest affidavit filed in court by a detective with the Coconut Creek Police Department.
The affidavit says the 16-year-old told police he and Parson met on the gay dating app Growlr and agreed to meet for a sexual encounter after exchanging “explicit” photos of each other. Court records show that the 16-year-old falsely listed his age as 18 on the Growlr site, which requires anyone using the site to be at least 18.
Under Florida law, a claim of not knowing the true age of a minor with whom someone has a sexual encounter is not grounds for a legal defense. Also under Florida law, a minor under the age of 18 cannot legally consent to a sexual encounter with someone older than 24. Parson, who retired from the D.C. police force in 2020, was 56 at the time of his arrest.
Court records show that a motion Parson’s lawyer filed in court requesting that Parson be allowed to return to D.C. and spend time at his Provincetown home was unopposed by prosecutors with the Broward County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Bailey states in his order that Parson’s “Pretrial Release shall be modified in that Defendant shall be permitted to immediately relocate to his primary residence at [street address] Washington, D.C.” The order adds, “Further, beginning July 2, 2022, and until September 2, 2022, Defendant shall be permitted to reside at his other home located at [street address], Provincetown, MA…and thereafter, on September 3, 2022, Defendant shall be permitted to return to his previously listed residence in Washington, D.C.”
The online court docket for Parson’s case shows that his next court appearance at the Broward County Courthouse was scheduled for Sept. 23. No date on the court records has been listed for the start of the trial.
