Crime

Palmetto man charged with five counts of raping a child, cops say

A 33-year-old Palmetto man has been charged with multiple counts of sexually assaulting a child over an 18-month period, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Juan Godinez-Martinez was arrested at his home on Thursday and charged with five counts and booked into the Manatee County jail. He is being held without bond.

Deputies say the investigation began on Sept. 30 and ensuing forensic interviews with the victim revealed “at least” five occasions when Godinez-Martinez raped the victim inside his home. The age of the child was not revealed in the heavily redacted report.

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Mark Young
Bradenton Herald
Breaking News/Real Time Reporter Mark Young began his career in 1996 and has been with the Bradenton Herald since 2014. He has won more than a dozen awards over the years, including the coveted Lucy Morgan Award for In-Depth Reporting from the Florida Press Club and for beat reporting from the Society for Professional Journalists to name a few. His reporting experience is as diverse as the communities he covers. Support my work with a digital subscription
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