Crime

Bradenton man charged with raping child ‘weekly,’ cops say

A 51-year-old Bradenton man is charged with capital sexual battery on a child under the age of 12 after raping the child “frequently,” and at least “weekly,” according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Allen Richard Bates also is charged with lewd and lascivious molestation. He was arrested Tuesday and remains in the Manatee County jail with no bond .

Deputies say the most recent incident occurred the day before his arrest.

According to the heavily redacted arrest report, Bates began touching the victim inappropriately at an even younger age and would force the victim to touch him. Deputies say the sexual interaction escalated to repeated rapes from there.

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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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