Couple Wanted For Child Sexual Abuse Now Jailed In Florida

March 15, 2015

A couple is now behind bars in Florida after about two weeks on the run in a child sexual abuse case that led to the arrest of two deputies.

Douglas Albert Manning, 47, and Leah Giannotti Manning, 40, were booked into the Escambia County Jail late Saturday night after being extradited back to Florida from Colorado. They were taken into custody Thursday in the Indian Springs Campground in Florence, Colorado, according to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

Both are charged with sexual battery on a juvenile and child neglect.  The Mannings are being held in the Escambia County Jail without bond.

From June to October of last year, both deputies had sexual relations with juveniles under the age of 18, according to arrest reports. The Mannings were “swingers’, according to authorities, with multiple partners. Investigators are still combing through over 100,000 images and videos found on the Mannings’ computer.

Two Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies were previously arrested in connection with the case.

Senior Deputy Mark Gene Smith was arrested and charged with felony sexual assault and misdemeanor battery. Deputy Walter Michael Thomas, Jr., was arrested and charged with felony sexual assault.  Thomas was released from the Escambia County jail on a $150,000 bond, while Smith remains behind bars with bond set at $170,000. Both have been placed on administrative leave without pay by the Sheriff’s Office.

Pictured: Arrest in Colorado Thursday, Douglas and Leah Manning are now behind bars in Escambia County. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

17 Responses to “Couple Wanted For Child Sexual Abuse Now Jailed In Florida”

  1. misty on March 23rd, 2015 9:17 pm

    This is so messed up I hope they get what they deserve ugh what nasty pervs

  2. KARMA IS COMING on March 17th, 2015 8:59 am

    THEY BROKE THE LAW AND THE LAW WON,, THEY BROKE THE LAW AND THE LAW WON,,,,, Karma is coming and hope they suffer a slow painful one

  3. molino jim on March 17th, 2015 8:59 am

    @ Jeepman Looks as if you are on target in more ways than one. What they did was illegal and dumb. But the conversation in LE circles is the “victim” is now over 18. Ask anyone who has worked vice and you’ll find out that there are a number of young hookers (both male and female) that try to work the street. I have wondered why the “victim” returned more than once. Can it be possible that the “victim” looked over 18? I guess the dumbest part on the officers part was being involved in the first place.

  4. Bobby C on March 17th, 2015 1:01 am

    Nita, in answer to your question. She went to Santa Rosa because where female inmates from Escambia are being housed. After the jail explosion a lot of local inmates had to go to other counties because of over crowding. I believe we have inmates being housed as far away as Walton County.

  5. Nita Daniels on March 16th, 2015 11:05 pm

    Why did the Ms. Manning get transfered to Santa Rosa Jail?

  6. Anastasia on March 16th, 2015 9:44 pm

    It was pointed out to me after my post that I got only part of the law correct. Age of consensual sex is 16 in Florida only if the other person is 16-23 years old. Guess I should have done my homework. Otherwise, age of consent is 18 if the other person is over 23.

  7. jeeperman on March 16th, 2015 4:19 pm

    The charges are for messing with someone older than 12 but younger than 18.

    The victim(s) could be 17 years an 11 months old going on 30.

    Yes still illegal.

  8. mick on March 16th, 2015 9:19 am

    Dsyfunction…in every clime and place, secret lives and secret lies…

  9. FL GIRL on March 16th, 2015 7:33 am

    If you think that prisoners “hate child molesters”, you are mistaken. The prisons are FULL OF THEM and deviant sexual predators are the norm. There may be a few OLD prisoners who would beat or kill a child predator, but these days the prisoners are more accepting of this type of thing.

  10. Gman on March 16th, 2015 5:01 am

    The swinger life style must be some desperate folks, who would even want either of these two, oh wait two deputies would…..yuck

  11. coseys ex on March 16th, 2015 12:18 am

    Maybe it’s my suspicious mind but does anybody else wonder how it is that these two managed to evade arrest and the two deputies were arrested last week? If the couple knew in advance that they were going to be arrested wouldn’t they warn their co-conspirators?

    When Deputy Mark Smith got arrested and put on administrative leave what happens to his K9 Jeck?

  12. Biscuit on March 15th, 2015 11:12 pm

    Bet the whole story is fixin to surface. More arrest comin……..

  13. JT on March 15th, 2015 7:06 pm

    Fantasy land is over. You are both going to be thinking about a happier place while serving the rest of your lives with people that hate child molesters. Welcome to the real world.

  14. Bob's Brother on March 15th, 2015 6:50 pm

    LOL! Swingers. Who’s swinging now?

  15. mick on March 15th, 2015 4:43 pm

    Time to pay up boys and girls…you are all a disgrace.

  16. 429SCJ on March 15th, 2015 8:39 am

    Those red cars, and conspicuous headlights.

    To be an idiot is bad enough, but to harm children. Terminate.

  17. emschick on March 15th, 2015 3:57 am

    It looks like their run from the law was kinda rough on them. They aren’t smiling now are they?

    Great job to all involved in their capture and subsequent incarceration in Escambia County Jail.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News