HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. – Joshua Reginald Velez, 43, was convicted last week on two counts of Sexual Battery upon a Child under 12 years of age by a Person in Familial Custody.
“Justice was served today because a brave child found the courage to speak up, and a trusted adult chose to listen and act,” said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “Protecting our children requires the vigilance and commitment of everyone in our community. We are grateful for the trust placed in us to bring this predator to justice.”
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Velez’s arrest in December 2020 followed a Hernando County Sheriff’s Office investigation triggered by the young victim confiding in an adult about the abuse. This adult promptly alerted law enforcement.
The child detailed numerous instances of sexual abuse perpetrated by Velez across three different states, with the abuse beginning when the victim was just 10 years old.
Assistant State Attorneys Angelina Rodeo and Kasey Whitson successfully prosecuted the case.
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