An Orange County fire battalion chief has been suspended from his post after he was arrested Friday in a prostitution sting by the Altamonte Springs Police Department, Orange County Fire Rescue confirmed Tuesday.
Read more Five questions: Will Mike Norvell’s play-calling help or hurt the Seminoles?
Steven Sherrill, a 24-year veteran at the county fire department, was charged with soliciting prostitution, a first-degree misdemeanor. Court records show he was later released from jail in Seminole County on a $500 bond.
Sherrill, 45, is accused of agreeing to a “quick visit for sexual services in exchange for $80” as part of an undercover operation with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office City/County Investigative Bureau, according to his arrest affidavit. He was handcuffed by detectives at an undisclosed location he agreed to, the report said, with the location of his arrest labeled “confidential.”
A fire department spokesperson said Sherrill was suspended without pay while the criminal case proceeds. A hearing has not been yet been scheduled.
Read more Byron Donalds names Hialeah’s Bryan Avila as running mate
“Orange County Fire Rescue takes matters involving employee conduct seriously and is committed to conducting a thorough and impartial review of the circumstances,” a department statement read.
Sherrill was first hired as a firefighter in April 2002 and began serving as an engineer in 2005. From there, he worked his way up the ranks, being promoted to lieutenant in 2014 and captain in June 2017 before being made battalion chief in December that year.
Read more Maxwell: Florida, a boom state no more as costs rise, young people leave
In 2022, he was commended with a 20-year service award.