A 23-year-old Palm Coast man was arrested Thursday in connection with alleged sexual offenses involving two teenage girls, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
The man was charged with five counts of lewd and lascivious battery on a victim over 12 but less than 16 and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Deputies said the two girls in the alleged incidents were ages 14 and 15.
The investigation into the man began April 5, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The alleged incident involves reports of two sexual batteries at the same time involving two victims.
The victims claim the alleged abuse occurred March 15, but they failed to report anything because “they were scared.”
Both eventually told their mothers what happened, deputies said.
Detectives believe the girls snuck out of their homes early March 15 to ride their bicycles. While they were out, they apparently met the man and agreed to go on a walk with him.
The girls claim the man eventually “made each girl perform a sexual act on him,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The man was arrested Thursday at a Palm Coast shopping plaza. He was booked into the Flagler County jail on $270,000 bond.
Arrests like the one made in this case happen every day across the country. Anyone can be accused of a sex crime, regardless of whether an actual crime was committed. Sadly, police, prosecutors and the public tend to side with the alleged victims in these types of cases and are quick to jump to conclusions and make an arrest, even if there is a lack of evidence to support any wrongdoing.
Sex crimes cases usually boil down to one person’s word against the other’s. Once accused, a person may feel inclined to try and clear matters up on their own by telling their version of events to police. Regardless of your innocence, it is extremely important to realize that sex crimes allegations are taken very seriously, and you should never speak to police without an attorney present. Your words can easily be twisted around and used against you.
Before you react in any way to an accusation, arrest or charge involving a sex crime, contact a Florida Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton. We can provide you with a free case evaluation where we will explain the charges you are up against and what your defense options are. We know how scary a sex crime arrest can be and we will do everything we can to make sure your rights are protected. Call us today at 866-608-5529 or contact us online.