A serial groom who illegally married three unsuspecting women, in three different Florida counties, has managed to evade jail time.
Henry Betsey Jr. was sentenced to two years’ probation after he pleaded “no contest” to felony bigamy, ABC Action News reported.
Michele Betsey, Brandi Betsey, and Tonya Betsey, learned that they were all married to the same man at the same time, and that each had gotten hitched in a different Florida county. The three women met him on a dating app or website.
“I met him on Match.com. We met in early November,” Michele Betsey, his third and most recent wife, told WFTS. The two tied the knot at the Hernando County courthouse on November 23, 2022, after a brief courtship.
She later learned that Henry was still married to Brandi Betsey, his second wife. Henry married Brandi on February 22, 2022, at the Manatee County Courthouse.
“I met him on a dating app. The first time I ever got on a dating app,” his second wife said. “He said all the right things.”
But Brandi Betsey had no idea about his wife before her. Tonya Betsey met her husband on Tinder, and the two were married at the Duval County Courthouse in Jacksonville on November 24, 2020.
“Meeting on a dating site and the way he portrayed himself, he sold the perfect person, when in reality he was none of those things,” Tonya Betsey said.
Henry Betsey Jr. was arrested for felony bigamy at his home in Seminole County in May. His arrest came after his first wife pieced together that she wasn’t his only one.
“I just started county by county, putting in his name. And that’s when I came up with the marriage to Michele and the marriage to Brandi,” his first wife said.
Third wife Michele only found out her husband was already married – twice – when she was contacted by Tonya.
“She found me and she messaged me, and I had no idea that she was actually still married to him,” Michele said.
All three women say they believe he was targeting them for financial gain.
“The day we got married, he said, ‘We need to make your bank account a joint bank account,’” his second wife, Brandi Betsey, said.
“Child support, alimony, anything that comes with, you know, the extra perks of marrying a newly single, divorced woman,” third wife, Michele Betsey, added.
Henry Betsey Jr recently told a court that he has no source of income or money in the bank.
Brandi Betsey and Tonya Betsey had previously obtained domestic violence orders from judges after their husband became abusive. Michele Betsey said that she kicked him out of the house after just five days of marriage, WFTS reported.
Following his arrest, Henry Betsey Jr. filed for divorce from his first wife, Tonya. He is seeking annulments for his second and third marriages.
Betsey Jr’s wives say the system that handles marriage licenses should have more safeguards.
“If the counties did talk, it would have saved me a lot of heartache, a lot of money, a lot of stress,” Tonya Betsey said.
Betsey Jr. pleaded guilty to the felony bigamy charge in May. In court Thursday, he apologized for marrying three women at the same time.
“First and foremost, I want to apologize to the ladies and I want to apologize to the court administration and to my family and friends that had to be involved in this. Because ultimately this is something that I didn’t wish to be part of,” he said.
Michele Betsey was present for his sentencing but said she didn’t believe he had any remorse.
In addition to two years’ probation, Betsey Jr. was given 100 hours community service, ordered to complete a mental health evaluation and stay off dating websites.
