Former corrections officer sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing girl
On Feb. 6, 2019, Slanker, who at the time was a corrections officer at the Coleman Correctional Complex in Coleman (Sumter County), Florida, was arrested by Detectives Tony Ricci and Tiffany Barry with the Citrus County Sheriff's Office, Special Victim's Unit, within a day of the allegations being made against him, when the initial investigation revealed that he'd sexually battered the victim over a period of years, beginning when she was age 9.
On Feb. 19, 2020, Slanker was found guilty of the allegations made against him during a one-day jury trial. On Nov. 4, 2020, Detective Ricci, along with the victim and members of the victim's family, spoke in Judge Ric Howard's courtroom during the sentencing hearing. Statements were provided as to how Slanker's actions have affected the victim and her family. After hearing from the prosecution, defense, and victim, Judge Howard sentenced Slanker to life in prison on each of the six charges he'd been convicted of.
"Due to the excellent work by Citrus County Sheriff's Office Detectives Ricci and Barry, Kenneth Slanker will never have the opportunity to prey on another child as long as he lives," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "Although no amount of prison time will undo what he has done to this innocent child, the victim and the victim's family now have closure and a sense of justice."