Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri fired a deputy after learning that the deputy had sexual relationships with two female deputies and allowed other deputies to sleep and play games on the job.
"It was appalling and very disappointing," said Gualtieri. "The sleeping is a big deal. They shouldn't be sleeping. They're getting paid to do a job, they need to do the job."
During the investigation, Sheriff Gualtieri reported Deputy Scott Nichols, 32, allowed 8 detention deputies at the Pinellas County Jail to sleep on the job as well as play games and wrestle. Investigators also found that Nichols would participate in the activities and he also recorded them on his phone.
"Given the totality of this and his overall conduct," Gualtieri said Wednesday, "he doesn't need to work here anymore."
Nichols was hired in May 2007 and days before his termination, Nichols was demoted from Corporal to deputy and given 80 hours of suspension after an investigation found he engaged in sexual relationships with married deputies while he was also married.
"We hold these people accountable," said Gualtieri. "We are policing our own and that when people don't do the right thing... they're going to be dealt with accordingly."
According to the Sheriff's Office, Nichols and Deputy Ashley Wheatley spent extended periods of time alone in an unoccupied room in the Pinellas County Jail.
Fifty-five minutes of surveillance video documented the time spent in the unoccupied room.
Deputy Wheatley was also married while she had an "inappropriate relationship" with Nichols.
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