Crime

Bradenton man raped two minors in one night, cops say.

A 20-year-old Bradenton man has been charged with with two counts of first-degree felony sexual assault of a child after he raped two minors in the same night, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say Michael Carmona assaulted both of the minors in August while he was “hanging out” with a group of friends and drinking alcohol.

According to the arrest warrant affidavid, everyone in the house fell asleep after drinking except Carmona who began to sexually assault one of the victims in her sleep. She woke up to find Carmona touching her and when she tried to make him stop, he raped her, deputies say.

The victim went to another room in an attempt to call for a ride home only to find another girl in the same room crying. The two began to talk and realized that they both had been sexually assaulted by Carmona, according to the warrant.

By the beginning of September, both victims disclosed what had happened to authorities and an interview with Carmona was conducted on Sept. 10 where he denied the allegations, requested an attorney and refused to speak to detectives.

Deputies served a DNA warrant in early October and in late October, Carmona sent a letter to authorities saying, “I am innocent and the DNA test will show that I had no sexual contact, and I hope this is the end of the matter.”

On Feb. 5, the test results came from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s lab showing Carmona was linked to the crimes, the sheriff’s office said.

Carmona was arrested Feb. 24 on the charges of sexually assaulting a minor older than 12 years old but under 18. The ages of the victim were not disclosed in the documents.

Carmona remains in the Manatee County jail on bonds totaling $200,000.

MY
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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