Jacksonville Weatherman Sues the Competition
Back in June, FTVLive told you that a man was arrested in Gainesville, FL and accused confining three women in his home as sex slaves, prostituting them and posting a video of himself raping at least one of the victims.
The man Timothy Deegan faces a number of charges.
But, when WTEV/WAWS (now WJAX, WFOX) in Jacksonville posted the story on their website, the station included a mugshot of Deegan in their story, problem was they used a picture of WTLV Weather Anchor Tim Deegan...same name, different guy.
Now the Weatherman is suing the company that helps run WJAX's website and is owned by Nexstar.
Deegan has filed suit against a service provider for a local television station, citing defamation of character, after the service provider featured his mugshot next to the headline "Florida man kept three women as sex slaves, police say."
Deegan is seeking damages in excess of $75,000.
The lawsuit filed, filed on Nov. 7, names Nexstar Broadcasting Inc as the defendant. Nexstar's division Inergize Digital provides digital content for various television stations owned or managed by Cox Media Group.
The suit says Nexstar falsely identified Deegan as the person who had been "arrested and charged with some of the most despicable crimes and immoral conduct imaginable."
Deegan claims the publication of the photo caused him financial damage as well as mental suffering, including mental anguish, personal humiliation and injury to reputation.
In its response, Nexstar admits that it published the wrong photo, but that it did so "in good faith and without negligence, express malice or actual malice."
"The publication about which Plaintiff [Deegan] complains, when considered in its entirety as required by applicable law, was not of and concerning Plaintiff, and could not be reasonably understood to refer to him," the response says.