Bradenton man charged with raping, molesting three children

MANATEE -- A Bradenton man is facing charges he raped or molested three children, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

Michael Ready, 42, was first arrested April 16 and charged with lewd and lascivious molestation, according to court records. His initial arrest prompted two adults to disclose they, too, had been victims of Ready when they were children, according to the sheriff's office.

Ready is being held at the Manatee County jail on bonds totaling $650,000.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit for the first arrest, Ready knew the child.

On March 31, investigators with the sheriff's office's Child Protective Investigative Division conducted a forensic interview with a 13-year-old victim who detailed the molestation, which happened sometime between March 13-30.

Ready's actions made the victim feel bad and as if "he was going to rape me," the victim told the investigator. The victim also said: "He knew what he was doing. It's not right for him to be doing that."

Ready had contacted the 13-year-old through Facebook, according to the affidavit.

Ready also knew two other victims he is charged with raping, according to arrest documents.

On April 23, Ready, while in custody, was charged with raping a child under the age of 12 when the now 18-year-old learned of his arrest and disclosed she, too, had been a victim of similar acts. The rapes occurred weekly when the victim was between 10 and 13 years old, according to his arrest report.

The victim told investigators they never told anyone about the abuse because Ready told them no one would believe them.

On May 1, Ready was charged with rape again after another victim learning of his arrest stepped forward, according to the arrest report. The victim, now 22 years old, said several rapes occurred between 12 and 13 years old.

The victim's recorded interview detailed several incidents, including how Ready raped the child at his storage facility unit on the victim's 13th birthday.

Assistant State Attorney Julie Binkley has filed formal charges in the initial case against Ready. The prosecutor filed two additional counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child between the ages of 12 and 16 and one count of delivering a controlled substance to a minor.

The two most recent charges against Ready are still being investigated before the state files formal charges, Binkley said.

Ready was released from a Florida prison in December 2011 after serving about two years and 11 months for a grand theft conviction out of Sarasota County. In November 2005, he was released from prison after serving six years and three months for trafficking amphetamines and resisting arrest with violence.

Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her n Twitter @JDeLeon1012.

This story was originally published May 13, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Bradenton man charged with raping, molesting three children ."