Palmetto man charged with filming lewd battery of teenage girl, deputies say
A 27-year-old Palmetto man faces felony charges after detectives say he filmed and shared sexually explicit videos with a teenage girl.
Alfredo Saucedo is charged with lewd or lascivious battery and transmission of material harmful to a minor, according to court records. Investigators say the counts stem from the four months Saucedo spent interacting with the girl, starting when she was 15 years old.
Under Florida law, lewd or lascivious battery is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Transmission of material harmful to a minor is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years.
An attorney representing Saucedo declined to comment when reached by the Bradenton Herald.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office investigation began in late March after the girl’s family tracked her to a home in the 2800 block of 22nd Street East in Palmetto, where detectives said they found her with Saucedo. The girl, who had turned 16 by the time of the report, told investigators she and Saucedo “engaged in sexual activity on at least one occasion,” according to an arrest report.
According to jail records, detectives initially arrested Saucedo that same day before he was later released after posting a $20,000 bond.
However, the investigation continued while Saucedo was out of jail. With her father’s permission, detectives searched the girl’s cellphone and uncovered several sexually explicit videos and messages Saucedo allegedly recorded and sent to the teenager throughout the month of March, according to an arrest report.
That discovery led to a second arrest on April 20, jail records show. Investigators say Saucedo used his own phone to record the two of them engaging in sexual activity before sending the footage to the minor. Following the new charge of transmission of material harmful to a minor, Saucedo’s initial bond was surrendered, his release was revoked and he was returned to the Manatee County Jail.
According to court records, Saucedo has since pleaded not guilty and demanded a jury trial in both cases. He remains in custody on a combined $45,000 bond.
