Flagler Sheriff: Babysitter charged with sex crimes against 2 children in Palm Coast
A West Virginia man was charged with sex crimes against two children he babysat while living in Palm Coast, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Donald Andrew Sharp, 21, was charged on Monday with principal to sexual battery on a victim under 12 years of age and principal to lewd and lascivious molestation on a victim under 12 years of age.
Sharp had been previously charged with sexual battery on a victim under 12 years of age in the same case.
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Sharp was initially arrested Aug. 13, 2022, in Huntington, West Virginia, by the police there on a felony warrant obtained by Flagler County Sheriff’s Office detectives, the release stated.
Flagler County Sheriffs Office Major Case Unit detectives traveled to West Virginia to interview Sharp.
Sharp was babysitting the children when he performed sex acts on the younger child multiple times over a year between May 2021 and May 2022 at the children’s home in Palm Coast, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office said it appears that Sharp forced the two children to perform sex acts on each other as he watched, according to the release.
More charges may be filed as the investigation continues.
Sharp was being held without bond in a West Virginia jail awaiting extradition to Flagler County. Sharp does not have a prior criminal record in Flagler County, the release stated.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly stated in the release that Sharp took advantage of two elementary-school age children.
“He took away their childhood innocence and now he’s learning how the long arm of the law really works,” Staly stated. “Our thanks to the Huntington Police Department for working alongside our Major Case Unit detectives to arrest him as a fugitive from justice so that he can be extradited back to Flagler County to answer for his horrendous crimes.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Babysitter charged with sex crimes against 2 children in Palm Coast
