Christopher James Cassidy, Inverness, FL, found guilty of child molestation charges
~ Sentencing scheduled for November 12, 2025. ~
State Attorney's Office (SAO) Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida
Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter and Hernando counties
Citrus County, Florida - Jurors took only 13 minutes to deliberate, October 8, 2025, before rendering a verdict in the case against 45 year-old Christopher James Cassidy of Inverness, Florida, who was found guilty as charged on two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child less than 12 years of age, and two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child less than 16 years of age.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Kevin Davis and Kaitlyn Mannis.
After the verdict was read, Judge Joel D. Fritton ordered Cassidy back into custody to await his sentencing hearing that will be held on November 12, 2025, pending a pre-sentencing investigation.
In May 2024, Citrus County Sheriff's Office Deputy Levi Garrison responded to the agency's Emergency Operations Center in Lecanto, Florida, to speak with a person (the complainant), who had made a complaint of a past sexual assault of a child.
The complainant told Deputy Garrison that a 12 year-old victim had been molested by the defendant. The complainant said, that on the previous night, while he/she had dined with Cassidy, Cassidy had become visibly upset and left the dining room table. When the complainant asked Cassidy what was wrong, Cassidy had informed the complainant that he had touched the victim's private area in a sexual manner. Cassidy divulged a detailed account of the incident to the complainant, who asked Cassidy to leave the residence. The complainant then spoke with the victim, who told the complainant about the sexual abuse committed by Cassidy. The victim told the complainant that Cassidy had instructed the victim to not speak to anyone about the incident.
Detective Jason Cook with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office Special Victims Unit was assigned to the case, and arranged an interview with the victim by a Child Protective Team at Jessie's Place, Citrus County Children's Advocacy Center, where the victim recounted the same details that had been reported by the complainant.
Detectives interviewed defendant Cassidy, who made several admissions that he had molested the victim, and he was placed under arrest.