A Sumter County man was found guilty and sentenced in a sexual battery of a child case, after a student made a disclosure of sexual abuse.
66-year-old Fredrick Leroy Connell was sentenced to Life in the Florida Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole.
This month, Sumter County jurors found Connell guilty of Sexual Battery upon a Person under Twelve Years of Age. Connell’s charge stems from his 2021 arrest, in which investigators revealed he sexually abused a child from 2013-2015.
“Acts like this will not go unpunished in our circuit,” said Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson. “I commend this brave child for speaking up and telling a trusted adult what occurred. They have undoubtedly saved future victims from this predator.”
Back on September 30, 2021, it was reported to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) that Connell had sexually battered a child victim. School officials reported that a student made a disclosure of sexual abuse after a presentation held in the health class by E3 Family Solutions. The victim was interviewed by deputies for further investigation and the case was assigned to Inspector Pam Warren.
During the forensic interview at the Lake Sumter Children’s Advocacy Center, the victim recounted to authorities numerous instances of Connell sexually battering them, disclosing key details. Inspector Warren interviewed the defendant, where he stated various information that coincided with the recount told by the victim, however, he denied all accusations of sexual battery occurring.
Inspector Warren interviewed multiple parties to the case and developed probable cause for the arrest of Connell. Connell was arrested on December 29, 2021, and transported to the Sumter County Detention Center.
This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Dan Geraghty and Sonny McCathran. Prosecutors gave a sincere thank you to Inspector Pam Warren and the staff at the Lake-Sumter Children’s Advocacy Center for their work in this case, despite the challenges presented by the time-lapse that had occurred between the crime and when it was reported.
