Monday, August 10, 2009

Anthony Votta Arrested for Beating Pregnant Wife

A Marion County corrections officer was arrested Sunday on suspicion of beating his pregnant wife.

Anthony Votta, 31, was arrested at about 3 p.m. at his Marion County home on a charge of felony battery on a pregnant person.

Deputies said Votta admitted he battered his wife, who is four months pregnant, during an argument.

Votta's wife was not injured, and Votta has been placed on unpaid leave while an investigation is conducted into the allegations.

Votta has been with the Marion County Sheriff's Office since 2003.

Dominic Boulter Accused of Soliciting Minor

A Canadian citizen employed with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office detention center has been accused of using the Internet to solicit minors for sex.

Dominic Boulter, 51, a six-year veteran of the sheriff's office, has been using the Web since January to seek out and chat with minors ages 13 to 17, investigators said in a Maricopa County court document.

Two girls admitted to chatting with Boulter and sending him naked pictures of themselves, which investigators found on his computer. In all, investigators have identified eight girls in different states across the country who communicated with Boulter.

Boulter, a married resident of Sun City, sent naked photos of himself as well as pornographic pictures and videos to the girls, investigators said.

Boulter told the girls he was 15, but also gave them the ages 27 and 32. He identified himself to the girls as a police officer.

Boulter in an initial interview with investigators admitted to sending harmful images to a minor and encouraging her to masturbate while they were chatting via text messages and using a web camera. He also admitted in the interview that he knew she was a minor.

It's behavior Boulter's Sun City neighbors said was way out of character.

"I'm shocked because we've talked a few times and he's always been very productive of everyone," said neighbor

Boulter did not make additional statements when investigators confronted him with evidence of communication with other girls, investigators said.

Charges against Boulter include four counts of obscene material and transmitting it to a minor; two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of unlawful age representation.

Boulter has been a detention officer with MCSO since May 2003.

He was being held on a $20,000 bond.