No video voyeurism charge for ousted Florida GOP chair, previously cleared in rape case
Prosecutors say the ousted former chair of the Republican Party of Florida will not face a video voyeurism charge for recording a sexual encounter with a woman who accused him of rape, a case in which he was also not charged
SARASOTA, Fla. (AP) — The ousted former chair of the Republican Party of Florida will not face a video voyeurism charge for recording a sexual encounter with a woman who accused him of rape, a case in which he was also not charged, prosecutors said Wednesday.
The woman made inconsistent statements about whether or not she consented to the video made by Christian Ziegler during the October encounter at her home, prosecutors said in a memo. A crime could be committed if there was sufficient evidence the video was made without her knowledge and consent.
The woman told investigators that “she could have consented to the video being taken — she is simply unable to recall one way or the other,” the memo said.
Ziegler maintained his innocence throughout the investigation, his attorney Derek Byrd said in an email.