Tampa City Council chairman accused of past sexual misconduct

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - The chair of the Tampa City Council is being accused of sexual misconduct. Saying she had to unburden herself after years of living with mental anguish, the alleged victim went public against Frank Reddick during Thursday's meeting.

Reddick denied the allegations to reporters, through his attorney and in interviews with detectives.

Tampa police have closed the case without filing charges.

"I feel this is the only way I can get acknowledgement needed to freely move on with my life," the alleged victim, Tasha McCray, told City Council.

Because council rules bar the public from naming specific members during public comment, she didn't mention Frank Reddick by name, but said she filed a police report FOX 13 later learned was against the chair of the council she was in front of. 

She said she was 12 when the supposed event happened.

"I hope I am the only girl that had to go through this," she told councilors. "If I am not, I hope these other people will come out so they can release the burden, as I am trying to release on myself."

She told detectives in October that, back in 1981 while he was an employee at Wilson Junior High and she was a student there, he invited her to his home. 

While there, she says, he gave her alcohol and exposed himself, forcing her to do a sex act. 

He told detectives she had made allegations to him several years ago, and he insisted that he would never mistreat a child, He also said didn't previously know her and that his own lawyer had investigated and considered them extortion attempts.

The report says, at one point, Reddick described the specific sex act, which he says was in a letter she had sent him. But the report says that the act was not mentioned, and she never described it to anyone other than police.

Although police said there was no probable cause to press charges, they did note the discrepancy.

"I don't have no comments at this time because these allegations, I haven't even seen the police report," Reddick said in the City Hall parking lot, after leaving the meeting early. "I don't even know the person."

Tampa police closed the report without pressing charges, saying there's no probable cause to charge Reddick. 

"I tell you what, I will have a lot to say once I get to read this," said Reddick.

His lawyer, Danny Fernandez, released a statement saying he is wrongfully accused, that there is a lack of credible evidence, and that Reddick may never get his reputation back. 

McCray told detectives she has been haunted by the alleged misconduct for decades, and that the trauma has ruined her relationships. She says she is about to be married for a fifth time. 

"I need to get my life back," she told council. "I have been holding onto this for 38 years. I have done everything in my power to make this person show ownership."

McCray declined to be interviewed about her comments at council.

The council meeting continued on as normal afterwards.

Reddick left early because he said he had a previously scheduled appointment to get to.

The mayor's office declined to comment.