Dennis Russell, 45, has been busy trying to regain pieces of his old life.

Since being found not guilty by a jury on Aug. 28 on charges of lewd and lascivious behavior with a child under the age of 12 and participating in a sex act with a child in custodial care, the road has been difficult for Russell.

The charges were filed after a teen wrote a note to a teacher accusing him of the behavior.

Russell, who spent 53 days in the Levy County Jail, before being bailed out on the charges in December 2007, was well known at the time of his arrest in the fall of 2007.

He was part-time town clerk in Otter Creek where he also served as fire chief. He was a former fire chief in Bronson. He worked with the Bronson schools’ band boosters and was president of the Bronson Youth League at the time of his arrest.

    He also owned a business in Chiefland.

    While he lost the civic positions and sold the business, he also lost access to three children he fathered. And he is living with his father, a result of not being hired while the charges were outstanding.

    Since the not guilty verdict, Russell said, he is trying to rebuild his life.

He has been hired as a truck driver and has rejoined the Bronson Volunteer Fire Department as a firefighter.

He was asked by Bronson Mayor Franklin Schuler if he would be rejoining the Bronson Youth League. Russell said he is not, but if his children want him to attend their games, he plans to do so.

But before he can do that he must find an attorney willing to take on his case to gain access to his children. Their mother has had temporary custody since the charges were filed and a no contact order is in effect. Russell learned last week he must file for a hearing on the custody and visitation issue.

He acknowledged he knows some in the community will not accept the not guilty verdict, but he said he cannot let that keep him from attempting to return to whatever semblance of the life he had before the charges were filed.