Florida Sheriff's Office Distributes Flyers with Phone Sex Line Number to Victims of Sexual Assault
A Sheriff's Office in Florida recently learned that a phone number it has been handing out to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault actually leads to a phone sex line.
The number is printed on a flyer distributed by the Lake County Sheriff's Office to crime victims, and that same flyer has been used by the department for years.
But it wasn't until a domestic violence victim recently tried to use the number to obtain assistance, and instead wound up on "America's hottest talk line."
"I was shocked and stunned. I had never seen that number before," said Kelly Smallridge, director of Haven — the organization whose number sexual assault victims believed they were dialing. "We have no 1-800 numbers. As long as I've worked with this agency we haven't had a 1-800 number."
A Sheriff's Office spokesman said the department felt bad about the number ending up on their paperwork, but claims they printed "what we were given."
Smallridge disputes this, saying the address that appears next to the phone number hasn't been used in over 20 years.
New flyers have since been printed out, and the Sheriff's Office insists it always assigns a victim's advocate to assault victims to ensure they receive the help they need.
