Lantana Man Facing Capital Sexual Battery Charges

A 31-year-old Lantana man accused of sexually battering a 10-year-old girl has been arrested and remains in the Palm Beach County Jail where he is being held without bond.

Police claim the man told them he was addicted to porn and apparently abused the child nearly every day for the last year. According to reports, the man told police he never watched any pornography that involved children, but that he needs help.

Lantana police arrested the man Thursday and charged him with sexual battery.

The police were lead to the man last month after a woman sharing an apartment with the accused apparently witnessed the man touching a child’s buttocks in the early morning hours on Aug. 15. The woman and the child were sleeping on separate couches facing each other when the man apparently approached the child.

Reports indicate that the woman and the girl, whose relationship is unknown, shared a one-bedroom apartment with the accused and his wife and their two children. It is not clear at this time whether the two families are related.

The woman apparently confronted the man about what she saw, but the man left the apartment for work.

The girl allegedly told the woman the man had touched her almost daily and performed oral sex on her. The woman notified police that day.

Reports indicate that on Sept. 5 police listened in on a phone call between the woman and the accused. The man denied the child’s claims at first, but eventually cried and admitted he had touched the girl, according to police.

The man apparently offered to see a counselor.

An officer went to the man’s apartment on Thursday and convinced the man to talk with him at the police station. According to the officer, the man said he touched the girl and performed oral sex on her out of curiosity and because of the amount of pornography he watched. He allegedly told the officer this happened five or six times.

When a person 18 years or older is accused of sexually battering a person under the age of 12, the crime of capital sexual battery will be charged. The State is not required to prove consent in a capital sexual battery case, as it is presumed that a child under the age of 12 is incapable of giving consent to sexual acts. If you are found guilty of capital sexual battery, the punishment is life in prison. With the stakes this high, you must act fast and enlist the help of a sex crimes defense lawyer right away.

If you are under investigation or have been arrested for or charged with capital sexual battery in Palm Beach County or elsewhere in Florida, contact a South Florida Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton as soon as possible. To schedule a free case evaluation, please call us at 866-608-5529 or reach us statewide and toll-free at 866-608-5529. Remember, you should never talk to police about the charges stacked against you or agree to or sign any plea deals without first consulting with a lawyer.

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