TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Charlie Crist ordered an internal investigation and a citizen lodged an ethics complaint Wednesday over the extensive taxpayer-funded travel of Juvenile Justice Secretary Frank Peterman between the state capital and Tampa, near his family home.

Crist ordered his inspector general, Melinda Miguel, to review Peterman's travel after seeing a Times/Herald report that Peterman has spent $44,000 in tax dollars on travel in less than two years. Miguel's mission is to root out waste, fraud and abuse in state government, Crist spokesman Sterling Ivey said.

Peterman did not respond Wednesday to a request for a comment. He issued a one-sentence statement that said: ``Secretary Peterman and the Department of Juvenile Justice will fully cooperate with the Inspector General's investigation.''

He said Tuesday that he travels to St. Petersburg frequently to be closer to his employees and clients, and because Pinellas is one of seven urban counties with a high juvenile crime problem.

Nearly half of Peterman's total travel bill, about $20,000, was for 68 airplane flights between Tallahassee and Tampa over a period of 20 months. Many of those trips allowed Peterman to spend the weekend with his wife and four children.

Peterman also is senior pastor at the Rock of Jesus Missionary Baptist Church in St. Petersburg, where he drew a $29,000 salary last year in addition to his $120,000 state salary, according to a financial disclosure statement he filed with the state last July.

An agency spokesman, Frank Penela, said Peterman continues to preach at the church on Sundays while serving as the state's top juvenile justice official. It is unusual for a full-time state agency head to hold a second job.

Crist said he would not judge Peterman's conduct until the review is complete.

``Hopefully, there's not more,'' Crist said. ``I like to go to St. Pete sometimes, too, but I pay for it.''

No records exist of Crist's personal travels because he pays for it out of his own pocket, a spokesman said.

As governor and a St. Petersburg resident, Crist has flown on the state plane 23 times to St. Petersburg since taking office, at a cost to taxpayers of $4,269. On 19 other occasions, he flew on the state plane to Tampa at a cost of $3,772.

The ethics complaint against Peterman was filed by David Plyer of Clearwater, a citizen activist who has filed complaints against Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and state Rep. Ray Sansom of Destin. Those allegations, like the one against Peterman, were based on news accounts.

Herald/Times staff writer Marc Caputo and St. Petersburg Times staff writer Jamal Thalji contributed to this report. Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com.