Jacksonville officer resigns amid prostitution allegations

State Attorney's Office chose not to prosecute the case criminally

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville police officer accused of soliciting prostitution tendered his resignation on Thursday, according to a statement from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

Officer Joseph LeGard was the subject of a year-long Internal Affairs investigation. Records show the investigation stemmed from multiple allegations of criminal and administrative violations.

Once the Integrity Unit's investigation was completed, the case was presented to the State Attorney's Office. Prosecutors chose not to pursue the case, citing a "limited probability of a conviction," according to JSO.

During a review by the Internal Affairs Unit, the Sheriff's Office found multiple policy violations were sustained, including the administrative equivalency for the criminal charge of soliciting for prostitution. Internal Affairs recommended that Legard be fired and Sheriff Mike Williams agreed.

Legard was assigned to desk duty before submitting his resignation.

The Sheriff's Office will document the officer's departure from the agency, which will be reviewed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

News4Jax has requested the Internal Affairs report, which is in the process of being redacted for release.