Fernandina Beach Police Officer Ernie Haskins was transporting a suspect to jail Friday morning, but ended up in jail himself.

Haskins, 42, was arrested in the parking lot of the Nassau County Sheriff's Office and charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor. He is being held at the Nassau County Jail on $500,002 bond.

Ernest Peter Haskins III is the fourth suspect to be arrested as a result of a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation into allegations that FBPD officers had sexual relations with a then 16-year-old girl when she was a member of the now-defunct police Explorers Club.

Fernandina Beach Police Chief Chip Hammond, who retired Monday, said he now feels like the department has been "weeded out."

"Someone's got to pull the weeds," Hammond said, adding he postponed his retirement until he felt the situation had been resolved. "I had to see this through, and it's seen through ... now I'm satisfied that whoever takes over the police department is getting 100 percent good people."

Nassau County Sheriff Tommy Seagraves arrested Haskins as the officer was taking a suspect to jail in an unrelated incident.

Haskins, who was a candidate in the election for Nassau County sheriff last year, is the second current FBPD officer to be arrested on the sex charge. Officer Chris Duffy, 37, was arrested Sept. 7. Both men have been suspended without pay.

Former FBPD officers James Branning, 35, and Joseph Ramia, 36, were also arrested and charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor.

Branning, Ramia and Duffy have each been released from jail on bond.

Duffy faces additional charges of perjury and official misconduct and Branning faces additional charges of official misconduct, tampering with a witness and corruption by threat against a public servant.

Haskins' $500,002 bond is higher than the others'. Duffy's bond was set at $250,002 and Ramia's at $100,002. Branning's bond was originally set at $250,002 but later reduced to $15,002 because he was being a "cooperative witness," according to Assistant State Attorney "Doc" Burgess.

Burgess said he didn't know why Haskins' bond was set at half a million dollars.

"That was strictly up to (Nassau County Circuit Court) Judge (Robert) Foster," Burgess said. "It was nothing that we requested."

Burgess said Haskins' arrest was the result of "some additional information" received by the State Attorney's Office.

"The four that have been arrested are the primary subjects of the (FDLE) investigation," Burgess said.

"This is the last arrest we expect," Hammond said Friday. "... Police officers are in a position of public trust, and most of them are worthy of that trust ... you can't just leave morally bankrupt people in that position."

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