Tampa man accused of revenge porn, sex with a minor, pleads guilty to lesser charges
TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa man charged with extortion, revenge porn, sexual battery of a minor, and sexual battery of an animal pleaded guilty after years of legal wrangling, but he surprised the court Tuesday by thanking the judge.
Rudolfo Palermo's legal saga began nearly two years ago after prosecutors say he forced two young women to have sex with him and other men. If they didn’t, he threatened to post videos of them during previous sexual encounters.
Last February, one victim told a Tampa judge, "I didn't consent to him recording me."
The last time Palermo was in court in December, he was asking for bond and claiming to have been a hero while in jail.
Man accused of revenge porn says he's innocent
Rudolfo Palermo shook his head and didn’t like what he was hearing during a virtual hearing Wednesday. The 40-year-old is accused of several counts of video voyeurism and sexual battery.
PREVIOUS: Judge rejects attorney's attempt to drop man's sex voyeurism charges
"I even saved someone’s life that was choking within the jail," Palermo said. "Someone was choking. I gave them the Heimlich maneuver."
Now Palermo will be a convicted sex offender. He's pleading guilty to lesser counts of extortion, cyberstalking, and lewd and lascivious activity with a minor.
Previous coverage: Man accused in revenge porn case pleads to be released on bond
A Tampa man accused of revenge porn and dozens of other sex crimes told the judge Thursday he is suffering in jail. Rudolfo Palermo says, while sitting behind bars, he has lost family members and his business and now he wants out.
MORE: Tampa man accused of revenge porn, sexual battery of an animal, begs judge to let him out on bond
In return, he will spend three years in prison.
Palermo did have some kind things to say to the judge.
"I just want to say thank you to you for the way that you’ve handled everything throughout the course of this. You made me feel like I was going to get a fair trial, if I had gone to trial. You protected my constitutional rights," explained Palermo.
Rudolpho Palermo during previous online hearing
Then he was fingerprinted and escorted out of the courtroom, without addressing his victims.
In addition to h three-year prison sentence, Palermo will also serve 12 years of sex offender probation.