A 14-year-old Florida teenager, Jesse Stone, pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting and burglarizing a 91-year-old woman after breaking into her home in June. The incident took place in Reddick, Florida, and Stone entered into a plea deal on Nov. 7, according to court documents obtained by WCJB.
The elderly woman was awake when Stone broke into her home around midnight on June 9. DNA evidence from the scene positively identified Stone as the perpetrator, as confirmed by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
Stone initially denied his involvement, but detectives pointed out that he was wearing similar clothing to the person seen in a video recorded by neighbors on the night of the assault. Eventually, Stone confessed to the crimes during an interview with Detective Caitlin Hartigan.
During the confession, Stone admitted to entering the victim’s home through her living room and watching pornography on her iPad. The victim had known Stone before and considered him to be a “good boy,” as reported by the Star-Banner.
Sheriff Billy Woods expressed shock at the crime, especially considering the young age of the perpetrator. Stone is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 19, just three days before his fifteenth birthday.
“Although I firmly believe he should be held accountable for his crime, as a father, my compassion goes out to his family. Hopefully his arrest will lead to getting him help that prevents any further such acts,” Sheriff Woods added.
