Last Marco police officer tied to sex-on-duty scandal, trafficking complaint resigns

The last remaining Marco Island police officer tied to its sex on duty scandal has resigned.

Officer Brian Granneman tendered his resignation effective immediately, Police Chief Tracy Frazzano wrote in an email to police staff Thursday evening.

Granneman's actions had come under scrutiny in the last week after he and three former police officers, James Inlow, Neil Giansanti and Kevin Hennings, were named as defendants along with the city in a prospective lawsuit.

The prospective lawsuit by the woman, who had sexual relationships with other three on-duty officers between 2015 and 2017, accused them of violations of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and physical, mental and sexual abuse.

She has alleged the officers used their positions to take advantage of her and was unable to properly provide consent to the sexual contact due to her mental vulnerabilities, which the officers were aware of. 

More:Attorney warns Marco police of prospective lawsuit alleging sexual abuse, trafficking

Of the newest allegations in the complaint, Granneman and Inlow were accused of not making any incident reports for an incident where they confiscated a weapon from the woman. The complaint also alleges there was no report of Granneman taking the woman to a mental health facility where she would be Baker Acted the following day.

The Naples Daily News submitted a public records request for the Baker Act incident report alleged not to exist, but was denied by the city. The city stated the information the Daily News was seeking was under investigation but erroneously failed to state whether there was a document responsive to its request.

More:Marco police cite records exemption for report that allegedly doesn't exist

The Florida Attorney General's Office has authored multiple opinions establishing that incidents reports for Baker Acts are public record. Only clinical records associated with Baker Acts are exempt and confidential.

The prospective lawsuit assigns liability to the city because it contends the city failed to properly hire, train and supervise the officers, who were acting in their official capacities when the misconduct took place.

An ultimatum of 21 days to initiate settlement talks was given to the city last Tuesday, otherwise the complaint would move forward through federal court.

Inlow and Giansanti resigned from the force in early 2018 after being investigated for the sex on duty allegations. Hennings, who proclaimed his innocence, remained on paid leave for nearly five months until the city terminated him in September.

The internal affairs investigations found that all three officers had sex on duty at different times with the woman. 

More:Investigation finds two former Marco Island cops separately engaged in sex while on duty

Granneman was tied to the incidents because he was found to have known about Inlow's on-duty activities without reporting them to another supervisor.

The woman sent text messages to Granneman telling him what areas to avoid patrolling while on duty.

Granneman was also accused of sleeping with the woman at his home and providing her alcohol when she was underage, but the investigation could not substantiate those claims.

He received a written reprimand in May 2018 and was placed on probation for not reporting Inlow. A few months later, then-Police Chief Al Schettino promoted him to sergeant.

He had been employed with the police department since Nov. 25, 2013, according to payroll records.