from the Daily Commercial

Father won’t be charged for striking man having sex with daughter

MILLARD K. IVES, Staff Writer

WILDWOOD — A father who attacked his 37-year-old best friend and roommate with the butt of a shotgun after finding him having sex with his 16-year-old daughter will not be charged in the attack.

Officials with the State Attorney’s Office declined to file charges against the Wildwood father in the attack that sent the 37-year-old man and roommate to Leesburg Regional Medical Center with head injuries.

Bill Gladson, a supervisor with the State Attorney’s Office, said the father had the right to use reasonable force to prevent his daughter from becoming the victim of a sex crime.

The 37-year-old also had signed a waiver at the hospital, stating he didn’t want the father charged, according to Wildwood police.

“He didn’t want to cooperate as far as filing charges against his best friend,” said Wildwood police Sgt. Russell Poitevent.

The 37-year-old was arrested on seven counts of unlawful activity and sex with a minor after leaving the hospital on Aug. 24.

Wildwood police said when the father came into the home, he grabbed the first thing he saw — the shotgun. Poitevent said the father knew the gun was unloaded and didn’t try to shoot his friend, but did strike the man hard enough to send him to the hospital.

Police said after striking the man with the gun, the father pinned him down until police arrived.

The father was taken into custody, questioned and released.

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