Former corrections officer in SWFL arrested for sexually assaulting 2 children

A former corrections officer in Southwest Florida was arrested Wednesday after being accused of sexually assaulting two children under the age of 12.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office booked suspect Anthony Whitaker of Lehigh Acres on two counts of sexual assault.

Whitaker, 52, is in custody at Lee County Jail. A judge on Thursday set total bail at $500,000, and said Whitaker can’t have any contact with the victims or their parents.

Prosecutors on Thursday said Whitaker was drugging the children, who are now teenagers, may have been around 6 years old when the abuse started.

Most of Whitaker’s arrest warrant is redacted but said the abuse was reported to the Florida Department of Children and Families in December 2020.

No other information is known at this time.

Whitaker’s booking photo is protected under state law because he is a former law enforcement officer.