Florida AG Uthmeier Rips State Attorney Worrell Over Dismissals In Child Crime Cases
Top Prosecutor Demands Answers After Office Declined to Charge Man Who Allegedly Masturbated in Front of Children and Another Who Possessed Infant Child Sexual Abuse Material, Sparking Outcry Over Public Safety.
ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is publicly challenging Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Monique Worrell after her office dropped charges in two alarming cases involving alleged sex crimes against children, prompting strong accusations that Worrell is putting “the guilty over protecting the innocent.”
The blistering critique was delivered in a letter issued today following the high-profile dismissal of cases against Kevin Chapman, 61, and Thomas Dolgos, 47.
The Apopka Park Incident
The most recent incident occurred on August 16, 2025, at Kit Land Nelson Park in Apopka. Chapman was arrested after allegedly masturbating on a public bench near a splash pad where numerous children were present, including a father and his two-year-old son who witnessed the behavior.
Despite witness statements, video evidence, and police confirmation of the lewd conduct—which Florida statute defines as a felony lewd and lascivious exhibition when committed in the presence of minors—Worrell’s office declined to file charges or pursue pretrial detention.
Child Sexual Abuse Material Case Dropped
The refusal to prosecute Chapman follows a similar, disturbing decision in the case of Thomas Dolgos, who was accused of possessing and distributing dozens of images of toddler and infant sexual abuse material (CSAM).
In a move that drew the ire of state prosecutors, Worrell’s office dropped all charges against Dolgos even though the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution was already actively pursuing the case.
After his charges were dismissed, Dolgos fled the state, only to be swiftly apprehended by law enforcement at the Canadian border. He has since been extradited and is now facing dozens of additional CSAM charges.
Furious Response from Officials
The dismissals have led to a chorus of condemnation from state and federal officials, raising fresh concerns about the safety of Central Florida communities.
“Once again, the question of Monique Worrell’s fitness to hold an office of public trust is unavoidable,” said Attorney General Uthmeier. “Whether these dismissals stemmed from malice or incompetence, they were inexcusable—and families in Central Florida continue to pay the price for her failures.”
Statewide Prosecutor Brad McVay echoed the sentiment, stating that Worrell’s actions are “antithetical to our way of law and continue to place and keep our most vulnerable in danger’s way.” He vowed that his office will now “hold this perpetrator accountable to the fullest.”
Congresswoman Laurel Lee also weighed in, backing Uthmeier’s leadership in “confronting the serious public safety risks” and emphasizing that, as a former prosecutor and judge, she knows “every charging decision is also a safety decision, with real consequences for families across Florida.”
READ: Florida Supreme Court Upholds Victor Jones Execution, Despite Abuse At Notorious State School
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