Homosassa man found guilty of child sex offense charges; sentencing set for August 19
State Attorney's Office (SAO),
Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida
Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando counties
Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida
Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando counties
Inverness, Florida - On July 12, 2024, a Citrus County jury found 27 year-old Homosassa resident, Joshua Aaron Schuler, guilty of one each of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under the age of 12, and use of a child in a sexual performance. After being found guilty, Schuler was ordered into custody to await his sentencing hearing which will take place on August 19, 2024. The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Kevin Davis.
"The complainant in this case helped save this child from any further harm," said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. "If you find evidence that a crime has been committed or believe someone is engaging in illegal acts, please report it immediately because every second counts in apprehending these types of predators."
On September 17, 2022, deputies with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) responded to a residence in Homosassa due to a request for service. Upon arrival, deputies were informed by the person who had made the complaint, that there was a video of Schuler molesting the victim, a five year-old child. The complainant stated, that on the previous night, they had scrolled through Schuler's phone and found a recently deleted video file, timestamped September 3, 2022, at 1:32 a.m., that depicted Schuler molesting the victim.
CCSO Special Victims Unit Detective Jonathan Richey investigated the allegation. After speaking with the complainant, Detective Richey made contact with Schuler. During an interview, Schuler denied the allegation, but could not provide an explanation for the video, and was arrested on a warrant.