Local

Sex offender indicted for capital sexual battery on two Putnam County children

Dimeco Henderson Photo: Putnam County Sheriff's Office

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — A registered child sex offender is back in jail after being accused of capital sexual battery against two Putnam County children.

34-year-old Dimeco Henderson, a man from Welaka, was indicted by a grand jury on multiple charges Friday, according to the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.

PCSO said it was first alerted to possible sex crimes on April 30th, and responded to Browning Pearce Elementary School to investigate.

Two related victims were identified. One reportedly told investigators that they had been raped and abused by Henderson over the course of three years. The charges list the victims as having been under the age of 12.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

PCSO said the victim told investigators they didn’t want to tell their mom because Henderson was a family friend. The mother reportedly told investigators she was aware that the man was a sex offender, and didn’t let her kids near him until she was “comfortable with it.”

The second victim told detectives Henderson had assaulted them every time he stayed at the house.

“I am extremely proud of the swiftness our detectives got this monster off our streets and the thoroughness of the Seventh Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office to present this before the grand jury,” Sheriff H.D. ‘Gator’ DeLoach said.

Henderson had previously been convicted in Duval County in 2010 for lewd and lascivious battery sex with a 12- to 15-year-old. He also faces several charges related to improper sex offender registration.

“For those who have touted sex offenders do not reoffend, save your breath. There are now two more innocent victims who are tormented by nightmares of the beast that was allowed to enter freely into their home. There is not enough therapy for what these children have endured and all because someone thought he was rehabilitated,” said Sheriff DeLoach.

“Our goal is to ensure this refuse does not see freedom. He will end his days looking through bars.”

Henderson is being held in jail without bond.

[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.

0