TAMPA - The case of Debra Lafave has taken lots of odd twists since she was charged with lewd and lascivious battery last summer. On Thursday, it took another: A Temple Terrace police officer with ties to her case was accused of sexual misconduct.

The Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office charged Temple Terrace police Detective John Gillespie on Thursday with soliciting a prostitute.

Assistant State Attorney Mike Sinacore said he did not know what led to the allegations, but he confirmed that Gillespie had been charged with the misdemeanor.

Gillespie, 43, was one of three police officers who ordered jailhouse staffers to photograph Lafave's body after the former Greco Middle School teacher was arrested last June for allegedly having sex with her 14-year-old student. Gillespie was not present when a jail deputy snapped graphic close-ups of Lafave's genitals, but his name appears on the search warrant for her body and he read the warrant to Lafave before the pictures were taken, Sinacore said.

Temple Terrace police spokeswoman Paula MacDonald said Gillespie, a 14-year veteran of the department, was placed on administrative leave with pay July 29. MacDonald said Gillespie is the subject of an ongoing internal affairs investigation. She declined, however, to comment on the reasons for the inquiry, saying only that it was not related to Lafave's case.

Lafave's attorney, John Fitzgibbons, was caught off-guard by news of the charges against Gillespie.

"You've got to be kidding," Fitzgibbons said.

"First we have X-rated photographs of Ms. Lafave and now this. Sounds to me like they've got themselves a wild and crazy place going on at the frat house up in Temple Terrace."

On Tuesday, Fitzgibbons filed a motion asking the court to block access to the photos of Lafave. He said police went far beyond their scope of authority by placing her feet in stirrups and shooting photos of her genitals.