‘Shocking.’ Sarasota man found guilty of sexually assaulting disabled woman in her car

A 62-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a disabled woman in Sarasota last year, while her mother was inside a store, has been sentenced to life in prison, the State Attorney’s Office said on Thursday.

A jury found Frank Szakacs, 62, guilty of two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation upon a disabled person and one count of burglary of a car while committing a battery.

The assault happened about 7 p.m. Jan. 11 in the 1800 block of Stickney Point Road. The 22-year-old woman, who is autistic and non-verbal with the mental capacity of a 6- to 7-year-old child, was waiting in the car for her mother to return from the store.

Once the mother returned minutes later, her passenger door was opened and Szakacs was inside the vehicle, on top of her daughter.

According to a press release from the State Attorney’s Office, Szakacs had lured the woman out of the car with pizza.

A witness testified that as she walked into the store, she saw Szakacs molesting the woman at an outdoor table at the pizza restaurant next door.

The woman’s mother told the jury that by the time she exited the store, her daughter had returned to the car and Szakacs was on top of her.

“The defendant’s commission of these crimes in public and broad daylight is shocking. Unfortunately, the reality is that predators will seek to exploit those most vulnerable whenever and wherever they can,” Assistant State Attorney Ryan Felix said in the news release.

“Thank goodness for the good Samaritan who witnessed what was happening, told law enforcement, and ultimately the jury. As a result, Szakacs will never be able to walk the streets again,” Felix said.

Szakacs was a convicted sex offender at the time of the assault. He was previously convicted of a sexual assault against a 10-year-old in Ohio in 1996.

He has been convicted several times of failing to register as a sex offender.

Robyn Murrell

Bradenton Herald

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