Newly Hired Dubuque Sheriff’s Deputy Resigned

A Newly-Hired Dubuque county sheriff’s deputy who sparked backlash for years-old allegations of sexual abuse has resigned.  Dubuque County Sheriff Joseph Kennedy announced Thursday that deputy Matthew Potthoff had resigned, just days after posting to Facebook about his hiring.  That Facebook post drew public outcry because of a 2017 criminal charge against Potthoff, then 17, on allegations of sexual abuse.  Sheriff Kennedy said in a statement that many members of the community had concerns about Matt being hired. He apologized for being the cause for that concern and for the negative attention it brought to both the sheriff’s office and the Dubuque community as a whole. he continued by saying it is their job now to focus on rebuilding the trust of the community. Court documents show a girl claimed Potthoff gave her a drink and sexually abused her when she passed out. Potthoff claimed the girl was the aggressor and later changed her story. Potthoff’s attorneys said the girl only had the drug for Nyquil in her system and that would not have been enough to cause her to pass out.

Potthoff and his family released a statement from Reynolds and Kenline, l.l.p. attorney Todd klapatauskas that reads the Potthoff family wishes to address social media allegations that have surfaced against deputy Mathew Potthoff, who was falsely accused of sexual abuse several years ago. As his defense attorney, it is crucial to clarify that after a rigorous examination of the evidence and the accuser admitting to lying about the accusation, the prosecutor dismissed the charge and the case was closed. They urge the public and media to respect the outcome of the judicial process and consider the impact of unfounded claims on individuals’ lives.