Ex-Coral Springs mayor, John Sommerer, imprisoned for child molestation has died

Coral Springs, Florida – Ex-Coral Springs mayor, John Sommerer, died Tuesday. He was 74.

He was forced from his mayoral job by term limits in 2004 after 10 years in office. He sought the office again in 2006 and lost to current Coral Springs Mayor Scott Brook.

The former mayor, who also served as a Chamber of Commerce president, was arrested by Coral Springs Police in 2007 and charged with molesting a 5-year-old girl. He pleaded no contest to four counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, four counts of lewd and lascivious conduct, and one count of the exhibition, court records show.

Sommerer received a 4 1/2-year prison sentence followed by 30 years of sex offender probation.

In 2011, he was released from prison.

Coral Springs City Commissioners are seeking to have Sommerer’s name stripped from dedication plaques installed during his mayoralty.

According to Lynne Martzall, director of communications and marketing for Coral Springs, at the last commission workshop, commissioners gave city staff direction to remove Sommerer’s name from the plaques.