SARASOTA-BRADENTON, FL — A New College of Florida official and former spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis faces multiple charges for exposing himself, according to reports.
Frederick Joseph Piccolo Jr., 47, was arrested Tuesday for exposure of sexual organs in Manatee County, jail records show.
He faces three similar charges from October in Sarasota County, according to records.
New College told ABC 7 that Piccolo, who served as the school’s director of media and marketing, was no longer employed there.
In his latest arrest, Piccolo exposed himself to a woman after asking her for directions while driving through the Lakewood Ranch County Club on March 28, WTSP reported. She picked him out as the suspect in a photo lineup.
He was previously accused of exposing himself to employees at stores in the University Town Center, including at Banana Republic on Aug. 22 and twice at Dillard’s on Sept. 3 and 4, reports said.
Piccolo previously served as communications director for DeSantis’ office, as well as for the Florida Speaker of the House.
He resigned from his role with the governor at the end of 2020 after receiving backlash for downplaying the COVID-19 pandemic, WLRN said.
Piccolo responded to a gallery of COVID-19 victims on what is now X, previously Twitter, “I’m wondering since 99% [of] Covid patients survive shouldn’t you have 99 photos of survivors for every one fatality? Otherwise you’re just trying to create a narrative that is not reality.”
His attorney, Eric Reisinger, blamed the recent allegations against him on a medical condition, telling News 6 in a statement, “I would like to inform you that my client, Frederick Piccolo, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. I must also advise that the medications prescribed by his medical team have, regrettably, resulted in compulsive behavior and hypersexuality as side effects.”
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