Key West Injury Lawyer Blog
Note: The names of the individuals involved in this crime have been excluded from this article to protect the victims.
A Florida Keys woman was sentenced to 13 years in prison this week after pleading guilty to various sex crimes involving children.
The woman, 37, pleaded guilty this week to sexual battery, incest and child neglect. She was arrested in January of 2024. Following her release, she will have to serve eight years of probation and will be subject to court-ordered supervision. She will also be required to register as a sex offender.
At the time of the abuse, the woman was staying on a boat moored off the Middle Keys city of Marathon with her husband and five children. When investigators opened the case, the woman allegedly told them that she sexually abused the children in her care out of fear of her husband.
Police told reporters with The Miami Herald that they “did not buy” her story of being afraid because she had “ample opportunity to report his actions because she regularly visited land from the family’s boat.”
In June, her husband, 40, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for distributing child sex abuse material. The husband was charged with sexual battery, lewd and lascivious conduct, child neglect, child cruelty and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
He pleaded guilty to the charges, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Florida.
The husband exchanged messages with an undercover FBI agent and claimed that he had 100 videos and images of child sex abuse material and “indicated that he had engaged in sexually explicit conduct with minor children.”
The husband was arrested in December 2023 at a home in LaCrosse County, Wisconsin, where the family had later relocated to after leaving Florida.
“This is one of the most horrifying cases we’ve prosecuted,” Monroe County State Attorney Dennis Ward said in reporting from The Miami Herald. “The level of betrayal and abuse is almost unimaginable.”
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners has represented numerous victims and survivors of sexual abuse throughout nearly five decades. The Florida-based law firm handles each case with compassion, patience and the knowledge of the law necessary to secure the best possible outcome for every client. Though no monetary amount will be enough to erase the immeasurable harm that is done by perpetrators of sexual abuse, it can help victims and survivors begin the life-long process of healing and moving forward from the deplorable actions of their abusers. Our firm is dedicated to holding accountable not only those directly responsible, but also those who knew — or who should have known — about their actions and chose to look the other way or conceal the truth.
Numbers from the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) show that 64% of all sexual assault victims in the Untied States are ages 12-34 years old. Every nine minutes, child protective services substantiate of finds evidence for a claim of child sexual abuse. And the majority of victims or survivors who are under 18 years old know their abusers (93%).
Tragically, sexual abuse of minors often takes place at the hands of those entrusted to protect the vulnerable. These predators hide behind unassuming masks, waiting for an opportunity to exploit the children in their care. These individuals can be anyone from nurses, teachers, members of the clergy, coaches and/or family members. Over years of personal injury practice, our attorneys have handled countless heartbreaking cases involving individuals who violated the trust of families and children, leaving behind deep and lasting scars.
Numbers from the National Center for Victims of Crime shows that one in five girls and one in 20 boys is a victim of child sexual abuse and this horrific number is likely much higher as many victims do not report their abuse.
“Family safety has never been more important than it is today,” said Ira Leesfield, the firm’s Founder and Managing Partner. “At [Leesfield & Partners], we have the resources, legal skills, and successful … track record to handle your personal injury case.”
Previous Sexual Assault Cases
In a devastating sexual abuse case involving a minor who was abused by a counselor at a well-known Florida summer camp, Leesfield & Partners obtained an $8.6 million recovery. The camp negligently ignored the clear warning signs of the counselor’s behavior, continuing to allow him to have access to the children enrolled at their camp.
In a similarly disturbing case, a high school teacher at a prestigious Florida school sexually abused multiple students for years. The school was ordered to give numerous multi-million-dollar payouts to the victims and survivors thanks to the work of Leesfield & Partners attorneys.
A confidential amount was recovered in the case of a child who flew on an airline as an unaccompanied minor. Flight attendants and other employees meant to watch over the child failed to supervise the minor during the flight. As a result, a sick passenger was able to sexually abuse the child during the trip.
Leesfield & Partners obtained over $1 million for a client who was raped in an inadequate security case.
For another client who was raped at a Florida shopping mall, the firm recovered over $1 million.
A woman working as a maid at a Monroe County hotel was raped by a man who was allowed to be on the property despite the fact that he was not a guest. The man was left alone, allowing him to sleep by the pool and use drugs. He was not approached by security or any of the other staff at the hotel and was allowed to roam the property for hours before he entered a room that our client was cleaning and attacked her.
The firm secured a $1 million settlement in that case.
The firm previously handled the case of a male child who was sexually abused at a youth center. The firm recovered $650,000 for the child for the assault and for negligent supervision.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse, you are not alone. Help can be found by calling RAINN’s 24-hour hotline at 800-656-4673.
If you were affected by sexual abuse and are interested in making a claim, call a Leesfield & Partners attorney today at 800-836-6400 or 305-854-4900 for a free consultation.
