CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

Man receives 8 consecutive life sentences for sex crime against child

News Herald - 2/24/2020

Feb. 24--PANAMA CITY -- A local man has been found guilty of sexually battery on a child.

According to the State Attorney's Office, on Friday, Feb. 21, a Bay County jury convicted Robert Lafayette Houston IV of eight counts of sexual battery on person less than 12 years of age.

Houston was charged with committing sexual battery on the victim when she was 10 and 11 years old. The jury heard that these incidents were not isolated and continued until she was an adult.

PHOTOS: 32401 Sexual Predators/Offenders

The State Attorney's office went on to say that due to the rules of evidence, the state was not able to present evidence of prior sex crimes committed by Houston. The state was aware of four other young girls he had sexually abused in the past.

Houston was immediately sentenced to eight consecutive life sentences and designated a sexual predator by a Bay County judge.

___

(c)2020 The News Herald (Panama City, Fla.)

Visit The News Herald (Panama City, Fla.) at www.newsherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.