Father sues DCF over false accusations

Father sues DCF over false accusations | Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota | WTSP.com 10 News

Polk County, Florida - Custody battles can be all out war, especially when accusations are made. Whether the allegations of abuse are true or not, courts are forced to respond.

Bay area father William Dunn says that when he fought for his child's safety, his little girl was taken away. He is now fighting back.

Dunn has filed a lawsuit against The Department of Children and Family Services. In his suit, Dunn is seeking damages from the agency for the mishandling of false accusations of sexual assault against him.

Click on the link above to read the case filing. (PDF)

In 2006, Dunn says he spent four years of trying keep his daughter, Mercedes, out of what he called "an abusive situation." Dunn claimed the mother's boyfriend was abusing his daughter. But the girl's mother, Jennifer Shoaf, accused him of sexual assault on his daughter.

Eleven months later, Dunn was never charged. And the mother recanted the allegations. But Dunn says the damage has been done.

"When the allegations came against me," Dunn tells us, "My daughter was yanked away from me and it was put in DCF's hands. My daughter was back with the mother, where she was abused after the allegations against me."

If the court finds the DCF liable, the statute limits the award to $100,000