Homosassa man sentenced to 35 years for sexual molestation of child
Florence's mugshot courtesy of CCSO.
Citrus County, Florida - On Thursday, October 20, 2022, 36 year-old Russell Thomas Florence of Homosassa, Florida, pleaded guilty to lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under the age of 12 and was sentenced to serve 35 years with the Florida Department of Corrections. He will also be required to register as a sexual predator and serve lifetime sexual offender probation after his release.
"This is a horrendous case of an adult using a child for sexual gratification instead of protecting them," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "Cases like this shock the community and take a dedicated team to seek justice for their victims. Detective Mission's quick and pivotal action in this case saved this child from further abuse at the hands of Florence. I am extremely proud of the CCSO team, the Child Protection Team, and the State Attorney's Office for their efforts in taking predators like Florence off the streets of Citrus County."
Florence was arrested by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office on April 19, 2022, charged with capital sexual battery of a child under the age of 12. Earlier that day, the agency was contacted by a citizen who was concerned about the possible sexual abuse of a child.
Detective Mike Mission, with the agency's Special Victim's Unit, immediately began investigating the incident. The victim was interviewed by the Child Protection Team at Jessie's Place, the Citrus County child advocacy center. During the interview, the victim detailed years of ongoing sexual abuse by Florence.
Following the interview with the victim, Detective Mission served a search warrant at Florence's residence, where he collected numerous items of evidence. Florence, who was at the residence when detectives arrived, was placed under arrest and turned over to the custody of the Citrus County Detention Facility. Since his arrest, Florence has remained in custody, held without bond.
About the Citrus County Sheriff's Office's Special Victims Unit: The Special Victims Unit conducts specialized investigations into sexual and physical abuse cases involving children. This unit works in direct conjunction with the Citrus County State Attorney's Office, Jesse's Advocacy Center, the Department of Children and Families, as well as other local, state and federal agencies to investigate and prosecute cases involving sexual exploitation and abuse, human trafficking, severe physical abuse cases involving children, and a wide variety of other crimes against children. The detectives assigned to this unit are among the most skilled and experienced investigators in law enforcement and undergo in-depth training in various forensic disciplines and other specialized training.