A Sumter County man will spend the rest of his life in prison for the sexual battery of a child.
The state attorney’s office has announced that 66-year-old Fredrick Leroy Connell of Bushnell has been sentenced to life in the Florida Department of Corrections without the possibility of parole.
This past week, Sumter County jurors found Connell guilty of sexual battery upon a person under 12 years of age. Connell’s charge stems from his 2021 arrest, in which investigators revealed he sexually abused a child from 2013-2015.
“Acts like this will not go unpunished in our circuit,” said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “I commend this brave child for speaking up and telling a trusted adult what occurred. They have undoubtedly saved future victims from this predator.”
In September 2021, it was reported to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office that Connell had sexually battered a child. School officials reported that a student made a disclosure of sexual abuse after a presentation held in the health class by E3 Family Solutions. The victim was interviewed by deputies for further investigation and the case was assigned to Inspector Pam Warren.
During the forensic interview at the Lake Sumter Children’s Advocacy Center, the victim recounted to authorities numerous instances of Connell’s sexually battery, disclosing key details. Inspector Warren interviewed Connell, who disclosed various information that coincided with the recount told by the victim, however, he denied all accusations of sexual battery occurring.
Inspector Warren interviewed multiple parties to the case and developed probable cause for the arrest of Connell. Connell was arrested on Dec. 29, 2021, and transported to the Sumter County Detention Center.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Dan Geraghty and Sonny McCathran.
