Published: Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009

Updated: Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009

Sheriff: Suspect, 20, charged with sexual battery

MANATEE — A Manatee man is facing more than a dozen sexual battery charges after a 14-year-old girl told authorities he raped her numerous times when she attended a day care center operated by the suspect’s mother.

Manatee County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Andrew Rae IV, 20, on 16 counts of sexual battery after the girl told them he repeatedly raped her between 1999 and 2004 while she attended Rae’s mother’s home day care, according to sheriff’s reports.

The victim said when she was between the ages of 5 and 9, Rae raped her at the family business, then called Rae Family Day Care, according to sheriff’s spokesman Dave Bristow.

Bristow said there could be other victims who attended the day care, in the 3600 block of 75th Avenue Terrace East, east of U.S. 301 man Dave Bristow.

Bristow said there could be other victims who attended the day care, in the 3600 block of 75th Avenue Terrace East, east of U.S. 301 near Tallevast. The business has since closed, Bristow said.

“He has been very cooperative. The victim told us there may be another victim, and he told us there may be two,” Bristow said.

In rare twist, Rae has been arrested as a juvenile because he was under 18 when the crimes were allegedly committed, according to Bristow. He was booked into the Manatee juvenile detention center on Monday, and a judge Tuesday ordered him held there for 21 days, according to Assistant State Attorney Ed Brodsky.

Brodsky said prosecutors will spend the next 21 days investigating the allegations and decide before that time expires whether to file charges against Rae. If prosecutors file charges, Rae would then be charged as an adult and taken to the Manatee County jail.

If convicted, Rae faces life in prison.

Brodsky said an adult being arrested and booked as a juvenile is uncommon but not unheard of.

“It is rare, but it has happened in this area in the past,” he said.

Sheriff’s officials are also asking any other possible victims, Bristow said. Anyone with information can call the sheriff’s office at (941) 747-3011 or Crimestoppers at (866) 634-TIPS.