A Central Florida man was sentenced for a heinous crime against a female relative.
The Brevard County case for Assistant State Attorneys Andrew Joy and Christine Babb hinged on sworn testimony by the victim.
The Palm Bay man was sentenced to life in prison for sexually battering a female relative.
“The victim was brave to testify and stand up to her abuser,” State Attorney Joy said. “The jury found her testimony so powerful that they agreed the defendant was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
A Brevard County jury found 48-year-old Ronnie Davis guilty of one count of sexual battery on a child by a person in familial or custodial authority.
The victim’s mother reported Davis to police after discovering a text message on another relative’s phone that described an attempted rape by Davis.
In follow-up interviews by experts at the Children’s Advocacy Center in Rockledge, the teenage victim said Davis sexually battered her on multiple occasions in Palm Bay, Orlando and Cocoa.
Davis denied the accusations and charges, prompting the trial.
Joy credited the victim advocates from the State Attorney’s Office for “doing an incredible job” of guiding the victim through the trial process and ensuring she felt safe to testify.
At a recent hearing, Circuit Judge Steve Henderson sentenced Davis to life and declared him a sexual predator.
