Investigation Into Fired Margate Police Chief "Wrapping Up," City Manager Says

Former Margate Police Chief Jonathan Shaw {Margate Police}

By Kevin Deutsch

Former Margate Police Chief Jonathan Shaw had sex with a female officer in his assigned vehicle, traded lurid “sexts” and photographs with her, and abandoned his surveillance duties to meet for sex, an internal department investigation found.

The investigation found that Shaw had sex with at least one female officer in his department-issued vehicle no less than six times. He also sent sexts and photos of his penis while on duty and used his authority to get out of trouble when a Florida Highway Patrol trooper caught him and a subordinate female officer having sex in the bed of a department truck, investigators found.

Shaw also abandoned assigned posts, including his supervision of surveillance of a homicide suspect, so that he could sext with the subordinate officer, according to investigative records.

The graphic details are among the findings of an eight-month probe by the police department’s Internal Investigations Unit, which was launched after two female officers alleged Shaw had improper sexual relationships with them, according to the report.

Margate Talk is withholding the women’s names to protect their safety.

Shaw was fired by the Margate City Commission on December 1, 2021, following a paid suspension. The city had declined to publicize any details of its investigation until the report’s release.

The report includes lurid text messages sent to and from Shaw and photos of evidence gathered by investigators, including a length of rope Shaw allegedly used to tie up a female officer while having sex with her.

A photo of a length of rope one of the officers says Shaw used to tie her up during sex. {Margate Police}

“[Shaw] enjoyed tying me up…” she told investigators. “He enjoyed making me his submissive. If you notice through the texts, I was — I had to call him “sir”; I had to follow through with the subordinate, you know, whether I was at work or whether I was in a personal role. This followed through my entire…it was 24/7, 365 for three years.”

The officer alleged an incident in which Shaw tied her up and had sex with her on her kitchen table “was traumatic for her and was her catalyst to end the relationship” with Shaw, according to the report.

At the end of the internal probe, Shaw was found guilty of neglect of duty, violating department ethics, conduct unbecoming of a police officer, and engaging in distracting behavior while on duty, records show.

One female officer said Shaw “harassed, discriminated against, and created a work environment which caused her mental and emotional harm,” and that “on more than one occasion he made promises regarding her professional advancement and promotion within the agency.” 19. Bk 2 Part 6.5 cell phone photos-BATES

“[She] alleges that she was privy to a culture of sexual activity that she described as high ranking police administrators engaging in “Swinging Parties” and a “Swinging”‘ lifestyle. [She] alleges that due to her knowledge and her attendance at a swingers party, Chief of Police Jonathan Shaw bullied, threatened, and intimidated her through adverse work assignments and verbal abuse.”

The officer said she also engaged in sex acts with other high-ranking members of the force, including Lt. Efrain Suarez, who resigned abruptly during the investigation into Shaw, the records show.

The second female officer who came forward alleged that Shaw “harassed, intimidated, discriminated against, and created a work environment which caused her mental and emotional harm.”

“She further alleges that…Shaw physically abused her while engaged in a sexual relationship from 2008 through 2011.”

Among the report’s other findings:

– “Shaw engaged in “sexting” while on duty and sent explicit digital photographs while on an active investigation. “Shaw was negligent in leaving the subordinates he was responsible for supervising on an active investigative surveillance to go and engage in sexual activity with a coworker.”

– “Shaw admitted to visiting [a female officer’s] house while he was a Police Captain of the department and engaged in sexual activity with a subordinate. Shaw knew or should have known that his actions could ultimately have consequences that could lead one to view those actions as ethical lapses in judgment.”

– Shaw said in a text thread with an officer he was in a sexual relationship with “that he is on surveillance and had to sneak into a bathroom to take digital photographs of himself. [She] positively identified Shaw’s fully erect penis as a digital picture sent, as well as a digital picture of his penis in his hand, and then a digital picture of the tip of his penis with ejaculate in his hand.”

– “On November 30, 2010, text messages describe how [the officer] again needs to be picked up from Fort Lauderdale International Airport and brought back to her residence. The text thread demonstrates that Shaw is on duty…[the officer] confirms that she performed oral sex on Shaw while on the ride back to her residence where she states that she and Shaw also had sexual intercourse.”

– One of the female officers said Shaw “was sexually violent with her and had choked her against her will during domestic situations…she claimed to have documented evidence that she was willing to provide to the State Attorney’s Office if necessary.” The state attorney’s office later said it “would not be opening a criminal investigation into the allegations against Chief Shaw,” the records show.

– Shaw “badged” an FHP trooper who caught him and one of the officers having sex in the open bed of a truck parked at a rest stop, records show.

It was not immediately clear from the report whether any additional actions would be taken by the city due to the findings. View Full Report Here.

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Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning crime journalist and author. A graduate of Florida International University, Kevin has worked on staff at The Miami Herald, New York Daily News, and The Palm Beach Post.