No bond for Oviedo officer accused of child molestation

OVIEDO, Fla. (FOX 35 NEWS) - A 15-year veteran of the Oviedo Police Department will await his trial in jail, charged with molesting a child.

A judge on Monday issued no bond for Officer Joseph Meyer on the charge of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12 years of age. Meyer received an additional 6 bonds of $15,000 each for the additional 6 counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child between the ages of 12 and 16.

The Oviedo Police Department says that the Oviedo police officer was arrested by investigators from the Seminole County Sheriff's Office over the weekend.  They say that, at about 3 a.m. on Sunday, the Oviedo Police Department was contacted by investigators with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office and informed them that they were investigating allegations made against Meyer in unincorporated Seminole County. 

At about 10 a.m. on Sunday morning, the department says that they were notified by Seminole County Sheriff's Office investigators that they had arrested Officer Meyer, without incident, at his home.

Seminole County Sheriff's Office investigators reportedly advised that this was an isolated incident involving a family member of Officer Meyer.  Meyer’s attorney, Bob Fisher called the decision to keep him in jail Monday surprising given his history as a public servant.

"I was very surprised. I thought the judge would render some kind of release,” said Fisher. "He's stunned, he's surprised, and obviously he was taken unawares."

Fisher said he was hired by Meyer’s family Monday after returning from vacation and had little time so far to review the charges with his new client. Meyer was issued an initial court date of September 25 at 1:30 p.m.

It is said that Officer Meyer was placed on administrative leave without pay pending the results of the criminal investigation and subsequent internal investigation. 

Officer Meyer was hired by the Oviedo Police Department in September 2003. During his tenure with the department, he has served in the Community Patrol Division. In a review of Meyer's last three annual performance appraisals, he was rated as a "solid performer." He has even won several awards and accomplishments. However, he received two Counseling Sessions for failing to meet supervisory expectations.