Bradenton man gets prison time for sexual battery after teen girl impregnated
A day after Bruce Lynn Wilmeth sexually abused his then-girlfriend’s daughter in late April 2021, he gave her an emergency birth control pill, court records show.
But days later, the girl’s mother realized her daughter was pregnant and confronted the young teen.
The girl said she had been assaulted several times over the previous two months. The following day, her mother took her to Manatee Memorial Hospital where they confirmed she was seven weeks pregnant.
Wilmeth, 39, recently pleaded no contest to charges of sexual battery upon a person 12 years old or older but less than 18 years old by a person in a custodial authority and delinquency of a minor.
He was sentenced by Circuit Judge Lon Arend to 30 years in a Florida prison.
“The criminal actions of the defendant will no doubt have a life-long effect on the victim in this case. We hope that she is able to heal and have a happy and healthy life despite these events,” Assistant State Attorney Lauren P. Benson said in a provided statement.
The victim and her siblings had recently been returned to her mother’s care when the abuse occurred, according to prosecutors.
Once he is released from prison, Wilmeth must registered as sexual predator and will be on probation for the rest of his life. He was facing up to life in prison.
Since his arrest in Tampa, Wilmeth had been held on a $150,000 bond at the Manatee County jail and court-ordered not to have any contact with minors. His prior criminal history includes a DUI conviction.
According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, in the U.S., someone is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds on average — and every nine 9 minutes the victim is a child.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of sexual assault, help is available by calling Centerstone’s 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 941-708-6059. For more information, visit Centerstone Rape Crisis Center online.
Help is also available by contacting the National Sexual Assault Hotline by calling 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or chatting at online.rainn.org.
Child abuse can also be reported to the Florida Department of Children and Families by calling 1-800-962-2873 or online at reportabuse.dcf.state.fl.us.
This story was originally published August 19, 2022 at 12:12 PM.
