New College Marketing Director Arrested for Indecent Exposure in LWR

MANATEE — The former director of marketing for New College of Florida was arrested in Manatee County this week and charged with a third-degree felony for “exposure of sexual organs after a prior conviction.” 47-year-old Frederick Joseph Piccolo Jr. remains in the Manatee County Jail as of Thursday, with a bond set at $100,000.

Records show an arrest warrant was issued for Piccolo on Tuesday, and as of Wednesday, his name no longer appeared in the New College of Florida’s online staff directory, and New College has announced that he is no longer on staff.

Before his role at New College, Piccolo served as communications director for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and previously held the position of communications director for the Florida Speaker of the House under former speakers Jose Oliva and Richard Corcoran.

Corcoran is the current president of New College, who was chosen for the role by the New College Board of Trustees. The majority of the board’s trustees were appointed by Gov. DeSantis.

A longtime DeSantis ally, Corcoran was nominated by DeSantis for the role of Florida Education Commissioner after DeSantis was elected governor in 2018.

Not only did Piccolo work for Corcoran when he was House Speaker, but Corcoran also employed Piccolo at the Department of Education during his tenure as education commissioner. Piccolo began working for DeSantis in 2020.

According to public records, on March 28, a woman walking in the Lakewood Ranch Country Club community was approached by a man later identified as Piccolo in a vehicle. After the woman provided the requested driving directions to the man, the car drove away before returning to the woman, allegedly with the man naked and holding his penis in his hand.

Piccolo was confirmed as the perpetrator after the victim was able to identify him in a photo lineup provided by the MCSO.

The arrest warrant includes an address for Piccolo that is not far from where the incident is said to have occurred in Lakewood Ranch.

This is not the first alleged incident of this nature in which Piccolo has been accused. The charges in Manatee County make for the fourth such offense in less than a year.

In Oct. 2024, Piccolo was charged with three misdemeanor offenses of exposing himself in three separate alleged incidents in Aug. and Sept. 2024.

According to public records, in August 2024, Piccolo is alleged to have exposed himself from a dressing room at a retail store in the University Town Center Mall. The manager of the store told authorities that he was “stroking himself” while looking at her.

The other two incidents, which are alleged to have occurred on consecutive days in September 2024, involved a different retail clothing store also in the UTC Mall.

Piccolo was issued court summonses for the incidents, has entered a plea of “not guilty,” and will face jury trial for those alleged offenses in May of this year.

In a statement to WKMG News 6, an attorney for Piccolo attributed his client’s behavior to a medical condition.

“I would like to inform you that my client, Frederick Piccolo, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease,” attorney Eric Reisinger told WKMG News. “I must also advise that the medications prescribed by his medical team have, regrettably, resulted in compulsive behavior and hypersexuality as side effects.”

Notably, in 2022, while working for Tampa-based Political Consulting firm SIMWINS, Piccolo was accused by a client, former State Rep. Jackie Toledo, of sending her “unwanted, unsolicited, inappropriate and grossly offensive harassing text messages and images.”

Toledo was running for reelection when she hired the firm, but later sued Piccolo over the alleged inappropriate behavior. Piccolo served as Toledo’s campaign manager.

SIMWINS was founded by political consultant Anthony Pedicini, who partners with Fred’s brother, Tom Piccolo, at the firm.

Piccolo denied the allegations brought by Toledo, and in a statement to POLITICO in 2022, Pedicini told the publication that he did not “agree” with the claims outlined in the suit brought by Toledo against Piccolo.

In 2023, Toledo abandoned the lawsuit after her attorney said the parties were able to “resolve their differences.”

Besides several high-profile political connections and public-facing communication positions, Piccolo is also the son of Rick Piccolo, CEO of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.

Piccolo’s father provided a statement in response to his son’s alleged actions with ABC 7 Suncoast News on Thursday:

“While our family is deeply saddened and surprised by the accusations contained in the arrest reports, our son Fred Jr. was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson’s disease about ten years ago. As the disease has progressed, he has had various and increasing medications for the affliction. One of the listed side effects of the medications, particularly the dopamine agonists he is taking, is impulsive and compulsive behaviors, including gambling and hypersexuality (sic) activities.

“We are very sorry that any individuals were subjected to any inappropriate conduct and we will seek the medical and mental health services necessary to return him to the wonderful and caring individual we knew before this decade of medication he has endured. Thank you for the opportunity to respond and we will not have any further comments as we work to heal our son.”

Rick Piccolo will have served as the SRQ’s President and CEO for 30 years, having overseen the airport through its successful growth/expansion, and into financial stability, when he retires this June. He announced his upcoming retirement in November of last year.