As Central Florida police and state law enforcement agents continued the child-porn investigation into the former spokesman for the state's child welfare agency, administrators announced a series of actions Monday to better vet job applicants.
Al Zimmerman, 40, who was the press secretary for the Department of Children & Families, was arrested Friday on two counts related to child pornography. Neither DCF nor the Florida Department of Law Enforcement would provide details of the case during a Monday afternoon press conference.
Zimmerman was fired by DCF shortly after his arrest.
DCF Secretary Bob Butterworth and FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey said they believe Zimmerman recruited two boys -- aged 16 and 17 -- to appear in sexually explicit material.
One of the boys either is or was in Florida's foster care system; Butterworth declined to specify.
Though Zimmerman did have ''limited'' contact with children through his job, Butterworth said, administrators do not believe he used confidential agency computers or databases.
Bailey said police are continuing to investigate Zimmerman's activities, and they do not yet know whether he will be charged with luring additional children into pornography.
''There are issues we are not at liberty to share with you yet,'' Bailey told reporters.
PREVIOUS ARRESTS
Responding to a report in The St. Petersburg Times over the weekend that DCF had missed possible clues to Zimmerman's private life -- including a DUI arrest in Georgia and an outstanding warrant for his arrest on theft charges in Texas -- Butterworth outlined plans to better scrutinize the agency's 13,500 employees.
Beginning immediately, all employees hired after November 2006 will be fingerprinted as part of a more thorough background check, unless the agency already has done so, Butterworth said. Afterwards, the rest of the agency's employees also will go through a more thorough background check.
Still, Butterworth said, there's no reason to believe a better screening of Zimmerman would have raised any ''red flags.'' Florida criminal records -- the only ones DCF would have had access to -- show Zimmerman only had an arrest on a charge of writing a bad check. Such a criminal history would not likely have disqualified him, Butterworth said.
And though screeners failed to call Zimmerman's previous employers, Butterworth said virtually everyone who knew Zimmerman gave him glowing reviews. Gov. Charlie Crist, who was attorney general at the time of Zimmerman's job application, was listed as one of the his references. Crist was never called, Butterworth said.
`MOVING FORWARD'
Butterworth said much of his time has been spent reassuring agency employees that Zimmerman's arrest should not distract them from their mission of protecting children and families. The secretary said employees have made much progress in recent months, and should not be embarrassed by the scandal.
''We advised them that this type of activity will not be tolerated at all. Period,'' Butterworth told reporters. ``This agency is progressing and moving forward at a rapid pace, and obtaining tremendous respect within the community. That respect will not be diminished by the acts, criminal acts, of one individual.''
Butterworth said he told his administrators to tell their workers: ``Work with your head held high.''
