Man Accused of Molesting 91-Year-Old Woman at Assisted Living Facility

A 63-year-old Ocala man was charged Tuesday morning with lewd or lascivious battery, molestation or exhibition with the elderly or disabled after he was allegedly caught with his hand on the private area of a 91-year-old woman at an assisted living facility.

The man made his first appearance in front of a judge via video link from the Marion County Jail to the courthouse just a few hours after his 1:30 a.m. arrest. His bail was set at $10,000.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office received a report late Monday night from the staff at the Ocala assisted living facility stating that the man was visiting the 91-year-old woman when they allegedly heard her saying, “Stop, that hurts,” according to the report.

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the woman suffers from dementia and is in the memory care unit.

The relationship between the man and woman is unknown.

A staff member at the facility told detectives that the man usually visits the woman twice a week.

The staff member claims that when she and a co-worker heard the woman say, “Stop, that hurts,” they went to her door, but found it was locked. They used their keys to open the door and stated that the lights were off and that the man appeared startled. Reports indicate that the woman’s blanket was pulled down and that the man’s hand was on the woman’s genitals.

The staff member apparently questioned the man about what he was doing and he said he was changing the woman’s Depend.

The employee claims she found a pair of Depend undergarments at the foot of the bed, underneath the covers. According to the report, the undergarment was not soiled and there were no other Depend garments in the trash.

The report also indicated that the elderly woman asked one of the employees not to leave her in the room with the man and that she did not want him to visit her.

Detectives questioned the man and he apparently said he was visiting the woman and was trying to change her Depend because it was soiled. He allegedly told police he went to the bathroom and got a new Depend and was in the process of changing it when the employees walked into the room.

Detectives questioned the man about the light in the room being off and the man apparently told police the television was on and the light in the bathroom was on, according to the report.

The man denied touching the woman inappropriately.

He said he has changed the woman’s undergarments before and that the soiled Depend was removed and placed in a waste basket, the report states.

The punishment for sex crimes in Florida can be extreme. Not only can certain sex offenses land you in prison for life, but a conviction often requires lifetime registration as a sexual offender. An Ocala Sex Crimes Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton can aggressively fight for your rights. We can make sure you receive the best possible outcome for your case.

If you have been arrested for, charged with or are currently under investigation for a sexual offense in Marion County or elsewhere in the state of Florida, it is absolutely vital to contact an Ocala Sex Crimes Attorney at Whittel & Melton as soon as possible so that we can begin defending your rights immediately. Contact us today online or call us locally at 352- 369-5334 or reach us statewide and toll-free by dialing 866-608-5529.