Deputy Chief for Administration,
Cartersville Police Department
On Thursday, 1 September 2022, the Polk County, Florida Sheriff’s Office arrested Jason Matthew DiPrima, 49, of Kingston, Georgia in a sting operation for soliciting a prostitute. DiPrima is a deputy chief of the Cartersville, Georgia Police Department and had been in Florida to attend the 56th annual seminar of the American Polygraph Association, which was held in Orlando from 28 August to 2 September. DiPrima was released from the Polk County jail after posting $500 bond.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office booking photo
Solicitation of a prostitute is a violation of Section 796.07(2)(f) of the 2022 Florida Statutes. A first offense is charged as a misdemeanor of the first degree and is punishable by imprisonment not exceeding one year and a fine not exceeding $1,000. Upon being found guilty at trial or pleading guilty or nolo contendere, violators of Section 796.07(2)(f) must be entered into Florida’s Soliciting for Prostitution Public Database.
In a press conference held on Tuesday, 6 September 2022, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd provided additional details about the sting operation in general and DiPrima’s arrest in particular:
In 2015, Sheriff Judd publicly supported draft legislation that would have amended the 1988 Employee Polygraph Protection Act “to provide an exemption from the protections of that Act with regard to certain prospective employees whose job would include caring for or interacting with children.” Such legislation was ultimately not enacted.
According to Sheriff Judd, at the time of DiPrima’s arrest, he had been “driving an unmarked vehicle that was normally assigned to the DEA task force, meaning their officer assigned to the task force would have driven this vehicle, but apparently his vehicle was not so good to make the trip, so he’s in one of the undercover vehicles.”
It is noteworthy that the Cartersville Police Department, for which DiPrima has worked since 1996, requires that applicants submit to polygraph screening. It is not clear whether DiPrima personally conducted any such polygraph examinations.
In his press conference, Sheriff Judd stated that he understands that the Cartersville Police Department has suspended DiPrima “pending disciplinary actions.” At the time of this writing, DiPrima remains listed as a member of the American Polygraph Association.
Update: In a press conference held on Friday, 9 September 2022, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd announced that Cartersville Deputy Police Chief Jason DiPrima has resigned.