Jay man sentenced to life in prison for molesting 8-year-old in 2020
The Office of State Attorney announced Tuesday that Santa Rosa Circuit Judge Clifton Drake sentenced a 45-year-old Jay man to life in prison for molesting an 8-year-old girl.
According to a news release, Drake sentenced Michael George Rasmussen on July 21 after a jury determined he was guilty of sexual battery. The jury only deliberated for 23 minutes before reaching its verdict.
The offense occurred in January 2020.
"After a day at the beach the Defendant ... carried the victim from the car and placed her on a bed," the release says.
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After placing the girl on the bed, the report says Rasmussen then molested her while she pretended to sleep. While she was molested, she moved and Rasmussen stopped and left the room. She then left the room and went to her brother's room.
According to Rasmussen's arrest report, the girl never told her mother because "she was scared," but she did end up telling a friend during a sleepover. The friend then told the victim's mother about the incident.
After the mother found out about the incident, the victim gave a consistent statement to the Department of Children and Families. Rasmussen also refused to interview with law enforcement multiple times.
Santa Rosa County Sheriff's deputies arrested Rasmussen on April 23, 2020.
He was found guilty by a jury on July 21, 2023, and sentenced immediately after.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Jay Florida man Michael Rasmussen gets life for child molestation
