Former Florida Deputy Accused Of Performing Exorcism On Child, Giving Firearm To Another

A former sheriff's deputy in Florida was charged with child abuse for allegedly performing an exorcism on a child and giving a firearm to another one.

Christopher Dougherty, 37, was arrested after deputies with the Orange County Sheriff's Office responded to a call about child abuse in an apartment on Oct. 15. The deputies found Dougherty with a gun and a young girl lying on the floor with a rifle. The unidentified girl, wearing a Kevlar helmet and a bulletproof vest, was ready to shoot anyone who would enter the apartment, an arrest warrant from the sheriff's office said, ABC-affiliated television station WFTV reported.

Deputies reportedly found a second child armed inside the apartment, who was armed with a stun gun.

Dougherty reportedly told the girl that demons were residing inside the house and that they needed to burn some items that were possessed. The girl told investigators that they performed an exorcism on her brother, according to WESH-TV.

Dougherty was taken to a hospital under the state's Baker Act, which enables deputies to hold people with mental illness involuntarily for up to 72 hours, and was arrested following his release on a child abuse charge.

Orange County Sheriff John Mina told the outlet that Dougherty was hired by the department in 2006 and was fired for a reason unrelated to the latest incident. He said the accused had a string of unsatisfactory performances. "As law enforcement officers, we are held to the highest standards of conduct whether on duty or off duty. But we are also concerned about the deputy's mental health," Mina told the station.

It wasn't immediately clear how Dougherty was related to the children involved. "You are to have no contact with any victim or witness at this time," a judge told him in court on Monday, according to FOX 35.