INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Sex Offender Who Won Florida Lottery Sued By Alleged Victims

By Dustin Wicksell
Published on: 13:37 PST, Dec 28, 2014

A convicted sex offender who won $3 million in the Florida lottery now faces a lawsuit from two of his alleged victims, who are seeking damages for pain and suffering.

Earlier this month, Timothy Poole of Mount Dora, Florida, won the money from a scratch-off ticket he purchased at a 7-11, taking a lump sum payment of $2.2 million. As the Inquisitr previously reported, Poole is a convicted sex offender, who pled guilty to attempted sexual battery, though he denies the allegations.

The lawsuit has been filed by two brothers, according to CBS News, who were aged five and nine when Poole was arrested. The Florida Legislature eliminated a statute of limitations for victims of sexual battery under the age of 16 in 2010, as the Daily Mail reports.

Poole was accused of sexual battery against a different nine-year-old boy in 1999, and though he maintains his innocence, pled guilty to the charges as part of a deal in which he was sentenced to 13 months of time served. Required to register as a sex offender for 10 years, his probation was revoked in 2003 after he missed mandatory counseling.

Lawyers for the two alleged victims noted that they weren’t seeking any further jail time for Poole, according to the New York Daily News, instead confining their interest to monetary damages.

“We are not attempting to get him any additional prison time,” Mark NeJame observed. “He has served his time to society, but he has not served his dues for the alleged massive damage caused to these children.”

Poole has 20 days to respond to the lawsuit. Employed as a driver and dispatcher for Triangle Cab, a taxi company owned by his mother, Poole appeared on WKMG in November as part of a series exploring where convicted sex offenders are currently employed.

Floyd Snyder, a friend who was with Poole when he bought the winning lottery ticket, cast doubt upon the allegations against him.

“I’ve known him for years and I’ve never seen any inclination of anything like that with him,” he said.

“He’s a very positive person. Very kind. Giving. I think that’s why he won. It’s Christmastime and the dude deserves a break.”

Though background checks are conducted on winners, it is neither illegal for a convicted sex offender to play or collect winnings from the Florida lottery.

[Image: Florida Lottery via the Daily Mail]

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