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Article
Courtesy of The Tampa Bay Times By
Josh Rojas
Published
June July 1, 2014
LARGO -- Prominent Pinellas attorney Robert Tankel, 57, who was arrested on a lewd and lascivious molestation charge was given a $100,000 bond Friday by Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Thane Covert.
Tankel was being held in the Pinellas Jail without a bond since his Tuesday arrest. According to Clearwater Police, Tankel touched a 9-year-old boy's genitals over his clothing during a Big Brothers Big Sisters outing to a baseball game at Bright House Field on June 17.
At Tankel's bond hearing on Friday, Officer Justin Murray testified that he interviewed the victim who told him that the lawyer inappropriately touched the boy twice at that baseball game. The first incident allegedly happened while they were sitting in the stands.
"Bob was sitting next to him," Murray said. "Bob reached over and rubbed his upper thigh underneath his shorts."
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Prominent Pinellas attorney Robert Tankel, 57, who was arrested on a lewd and lascivious molestation charge was given a $100,000 bond Friday by Pinellas-Pasco Circuit Judge Thane Covert.
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Murray said the boy told him the second incident happened while they were leaving the stadium.
"He stood next to Bob," he said. "Bob rubbed his penis... with his hand over his clothes."
But Tankel's friends and colleagues painted a much different picture of the defendant on the stand.
"He's a really great guy," said a Bright House Field usher.
"When I observe Bob over these years, he's always kept his word," said a friend. "He's always been upstanding, he's always been truthful to me."
"One of the most interesting, intelligent and loyal people that I've ever met," said another friend.
Tankel's attorney pointed out that nobody witnessed the alleged touching and asked the judge to release her client on his own recognizance.
"All unitedly say to you that this man should be released on bond," she said. "He's not a danger to this community, he would never do anything wrong."
But Assistant State Attorney Kate Alexander pointed out that Tankel made an incriminating statement.
"In this statement to Big Brothers, Big Sisters, he tells the match manager that he's a touchy feely guy," she said. "That he was... corroborating the victim's statement, and while they were walking out he pinched his butt and it felt like electricity."
If Tankel posts that $100,000 bond, he must also surrender his passport and cannot have any contact with children.
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