State Attorney Bill Eddins announced that on July 19, 2011, John Tomlinson, a former Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant, was convicted by a Santa Rosa County Jury of two counts of Capital Sexual Battery upon a Child less than 12 years of age. The Defendant was convicted of sexually molesting a 9 year old girl in Gulf Breeze in 1996. The victim’s allegations were corroborated by the testimony of another woman who was also molested by Tomlinson in 2000 when she was 10 years old while visiting Tomlinson at his residence.
Tomlinson was sentenced by the Honorable Michael Flowers, Circuit Court Judge, to two consecutive Life sentences to be served consecutively to the 30 year State prison sentence Tomlinson is currently serving after his conviction in November of 2010 for Sexual Battery upon another minor in his care.
The case was investigated by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office and Office of the State Attorney. Tony Henderson of the Public Defender’s Office was Defense Counsel and Anne Patterson, Assistant State Attorney represented the State.