Adopted Daughter Rebuts Bryan

By CHRIS ECHEGARAY The Tampa Tribune

Published: Sep 11, 2007

TAMPA - The adopted daughter of St. Petersburg City Council Chairman John Bryan, who committed suicide Friday, denies that sex was consensual with Bryan, according to her attorney.

She was first hired as a babysitter and then adopted 20 years ago by Bryan.

At a Family Court hearing Friday morning relating to allegations of child abuse, Bryan said he had a consensual sexual relationship with the adopted daughter while she was an adult. Bryan resigned from the city council and committed suicide hours after his court appearance.

Lawyer Richard Giglio, of Maney and Gordon, said Monday that the adopted daughter, now 38, will not comment, only stating it was not consensual.

Florida law states if consensual sex occurs between two adults, the relationship doesn't matter, according to Stetson University Law Professor Charles Rose.

"It is not a crime to have sex with someone that you've adopted if they are of legal age," Rose said. "It may be morally repugnant, but it is not legally a crime."

He said the statutes look at the age of the victim in consensual activities, not the relationship to the accused. However, the relationship can be an aggravating circumstance when the victim is under age.

Bryan, 56, committed suicide after being accused of sexually abusing his two adopted teenage daughters. Bryan was found Friday at his second home in Citrus County, slumped in a golf cart.

With the garage closed, Bryan left a riding lawn mower and two four-wheelers running. Authorities found a handwritten suicide note on yellow legal paper in the house.

During Friday's Family Court hearing, the judge ordered Bryan to move out of the St. Petersburg home he shared with his wife and two adopted daughters, ages 13 and 15.

Police said it will take about two weeks to complete the investigation but the department will release a preliminary report today, said St. Petersburg police spokesman Bill Proffitt.

The St. Petersburg council hopes to appoint a replacement by mid-October. At Thursday's meeting, the council will choose replacements to two important posts where he represented the city, the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority.

Tampa Tribune reporter Stephen Thompson and Channel 8 reporter Rod Challenger contributed to this report. Reporter Chris Echegaray can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or cechegaray

@tampatrib.com.