Palmetto man sentenced to life in prison after sexually abusing 8-year-old girl
.jpg "A 49-year-old Palmetto man was sentenced to life in prison at a Manatee County Courthouse Thursday for the sexual battery and molestation of a minor.")
A 49-year-old Palmetto man was sentenced to life in prison for sexual battery of a minor, the State Attorney’s Office announced Friday morning in a news release.
A jury found Charlie Carter III guilty of sexual battery and lewd or lascivious molestation upon a child younger than 12 years old. The three-day trial was held at the Manatee County Courthouse and was presided over by Judge Stephen Mathew Whyte, according to court records.
Whyte sentenced Carter to life in prison, which is the mandatory sentence for sexual battery by a person 18 years or older against a child younger than 12 years of age in the state of Florida. He was also designated a sexual predator, according to a release.
According to court records, Carter was also sentenced to 25 years in the Department of Corrections for lewd or lascivious molestation, followed by lifetime sexual offender probation.
Prosecutors say the crimes were committed between Sept. 22, 2019 and Oct. 4, 2021.
According to court records, the 11-year-old child reported the crime to Manatee County’s Child Protection Team in July 2022. She told investigators that Carter began coming into her bedroom at night to sexually abuse her when she was 8 years old.
“The State commends the young victim for her bravery and strength in disclosing the acts of abuse she endured and for sharing her experience with the jury,” said Assistant State Attorney Ashley Dusnik in a statement.
