DeFuniak Springs man will spend life in prison for molesting 3 young children
DeFUNIAK SPRINGS — A 32-year-old man will spend the rest of his life in prison for molesting three young children who were left in his care.
Jacob Ramirez of DeFuniak Springs was sentenced by Circuit Judge Kelvin Wells Tuesday to two consecutive life sentences followed by another 15 years in the Florida Department of Corrections, according to the State Attorney's Office.
The court also designated Ramirez as a sexual predator. A jury found him guilty of three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation in June. The charges stemmed from an investigation by the Walton County Sheriff's Office.
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Sheriff’s deputies first received a report of possible child sexual abuse in July of last year, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Three children between the ages of 7 and 12 were interviewed by the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center.
The children were sexually abused by Ramirez after being left in his care, the Sheriff’s Office said. Ramirez was arrested the same day that another man was taken into custody for allegations of child molestation.
In a statement following the arrests, Sheriff Michael Adkinson said the investigations were “a part of our relentless pursuit of charging sexual predators who prey on children and getting them out of our community and behind bars.”
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: DeFuniak Springs man gets two life sentences for molesting children
