Bradenton man sexually abused 10-year-old girl, Manatee County prosecutors say
A Bradenton man faces decades in prison after a jury convicted him on child sexual abuse charges, according to court records.
Manatee County jurors convicted Jose Julio Espinosa, 41, of sexual battery and lewd or lascivious molestation of a child under 12, the State Attorney’s Office announced in a news release.
The crimes carry a minimum sentence of 25 years and a maximum of life in prison and require Espinosa to be designated a sexual predator, according to Florida law.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May, according to court records.
According to court records, Espinosa initially faced 11 charges, including multiple sexual battery and lewd and lascivious molestation charges, as well as introduction of pornography to a minor. A jury convicted Espinosa on two counts, while prosecutors dropped two others. The remaining charges are set to be addressed at a court hearing on the same day as Espinosa’s sentencing.
Detectives said a child told investigators Espinosa began sexually abusing her shortly after her 10th birthday. Three of the girl’s sisters also alleged similar accounts of sexual abuse, according to an arrest report.
Prosecutors said the abuse happened between 2009 and 2015.
“The State commends the victim for her strength and bravery in disclosing the acts of abuse she endured as a child after keeping this secret for so many years,” Assistant State Attorney Ashley Dusnik said in a statement provided to the Bradenton Herald.
Judge Matt Whyte presided over the two-day trial at the Manatee County Judicial Center in downtown Bradenton, according to court records.
