LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A registered sexual predator collected more than $2 million in a lottery jackpot earlier in December, and now his victims are suing for some of that money.
Lake County resident Timothy Poole posed with an oversized check after winning the jackpot on a scratch-off ticket.
But after news of his winnings spread, the victims in his 1997 attempted sexual battery case filed a lawsuit.
"There was the opportunity for them to recover as a result of the incredible pain and suffering that they've been through," said attorney Mark NeJame.
NeJame's law firm represents Poole's victims, who were 9 and 5 years old at the time of the sexual abuse.
"According to my clients, it happened over multiple times and in different locations," said attorney Jason Recksiedler.
Court records show Poole pleaded guilty to the charges in 2002 and spent several years in prison.
Shortly after winning the lottery, Poole notified the Florida Department of Law Enforcement that he was living in West Virginia, according to online records.
Recksiedler has filed an emergency motion asking the court to freeze Poole's winnings until the lawsuit is resolved. But WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said it would be difficult.
"Since there's no judgment in this case, it's highly unlikely that the judge is going to freeze the lottery winner's assets," said Sheaffer.
Source: WFTV.com
