Florida Criminal Attorney Blog
A 17-year-old student is accused of luring an 11-year-old boy out of in-school suspension at Pinellas Secondary School, an alternative school for grades six through 12, and attempting to rape the boy.
The 17-year-old apparently told the 11-year-old they were going to go to McDonald’s, but instead they wound up behind abandoned buildings and into a wooded area, where the 17-year-old, 255-pound, 6-foot-1 high school sophomore allegedly hugged the 73-pound sixth-grader and told him they were going to have sex.
According to police, the 11-year-old boy escaped by faking an asthma attack and asked the 17-year-old to let him call his mother from a nearby business.
Reports indicate that the 17-year-old teen has had similar run-ins with the law previously.
Last week, police arrested the 17-year-old teen and charged him with lewd and lascivious conduct on a minor and interference with custody for removing the 11-year-old from school. He is currently in custody at the Pinellas Regional Juvenile Detention Center.
When an individual is under the age of 18 and is accused of a crime, he or she usually ends up in juvenile court. A record of conviction in Florida juvenile court can follow the juvenile into adulthood and lead to serious problems. Our Criminal Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton fight aggressively to protect children and teens from unnecessary punishments that will haunt them well into adulthood.
We treat juvenile crime matters just as seriously as adult crimes. We work tirelessly to make sure that your child’s rights are protected and that police officers and prosecutors follow proper procedures. As trial attorneys throughout the state of Florida, we have the experience needed to effectively represent your child’s best interests. For a free, no obligation consultation with us in Pinellas County, please call 727-823-0000 or contact us online.