Port Richey man sexually battered 13-year-old in Pinellas Park, police say

Jamal Thalji, Tampa Bay Times
·1 min read

PINELLAS PARK — A 51-year-old Port Richey man is accused of sexually battering a 13-year-old girl, according to Pinellas Park police.

Terence Edwin Phillips was arrested Thursday on two counts of sexual battery.

The investigation started Feb. 20 when a Pinellas Park detective interviewed a 13-year-old girl who said she had been sexually battered earlier that day. Police did not release the name of the girl.

Phillips recently lost power to his Port Richey home and was temporarily staying with the girl’s family in Pinellas Park, police said. She said he sexually battered her on Feb. 20, according to police. The detective continued investigating the allegations, and then arrested Phillips.

He was booked into the Pinellas County jail where he was being held in lieu of $200,000 bail, according to police.