Courthouse Protester Seeks Custody Hearing In Viera

For several days, the 39-year-old father has paced back and forth with a cardboard sign asking a judge to 'free my babies' as hundreds of people carried out their daily business at the Moore Justice Center in Viera.

Korvary Rojas, of Fort Lauderdale, said he is also protesting against the Department of Children and Families at the Viera courthouse and added he is hoping to regain custody of his two daughters, ages 2 and 3, in a pending family court review.

Rojas has been at the courthouse since Tuesday, but was asked by Brevard County sheriff's deputies on Thursday to leave the courthouse premises after a call to a helpline raised concerns about his wellbeing. Several deputies turned up within minutes of the call and surrounded him in front of the courthouse. No arrest was made.

“They told me to go home, that I can't be standing there. These are my babies,” he said, “free my babies. I don’t know what else to do,” the handyman told FLORIDA TODAY.

The Department of Children and Families removed the two children from Rojas’ home in June 2015. A June 3 hearing was held at the Moore Justice Center in Viera for Rojas to present his case.

“The court heard testimony from the father in regards to a home study managed in Fort Lauderdale,” said David Ocasio of DCF in a written statement to FLORIDA TODAY.

“It was deemed that there were still concerns regarding the dad's ability to properly care for the children. A judgement has not been made on whether or not to overrule the home study.”

Rojas said one deputy prayed for him. Others asked why he was there. He was also joined by another fathers' rights advocate,  David Henry, on Thursday. "I've been out here night and day," he said. "But I've been suffering like a dog for a year since they took my children. I thought I was supposed to come back here to pick up my babies but nothing happened," he said, adding that he questions the care the two are receiving in DCF custody.

"I just want my babies."

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/2016/06/09/courthouse-protester-seeks-custody-hearing-viera/85644284/

Ex-DCF Investigator Accused Of Falsifying Records Released From Jail

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. —

A former Department of Children and Families investigator accused of falsifying case records was released from the Brevard County Jail Tuesday afternoon.

John Porterfield, 53, turned himself in to the jail Monday on charges of falsifying records.
Porter resigned last year after working at the agency for five years.

His resignation came amid accusations that he made up family visits, forcing DCF to review all his case files.
A supervisor believed Porter might have copied and pasted portions of another investigator’s case notes into his own file, according to a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation.

“Well, fortunately, the falsification that occurred in those two cases did not result in any kind of child safety issues,” said Kristin Gray, a DCF spokeswoman. “The children were not harmed. The falsification was not the cause or did not lead to any further abuse or neglect of those two children.”

Porter was responsible for investigating allegations of child abuse and neglect made through the Florida Abuse Hotline.

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/local/ex-dcf-investigator-accused-falsifying-records-jai/nn2kH/