CALHOUN COUNTY – A man facing Sexual Battery charges involving a minor he impregnated was sentenced to 25 years in prison Monday after he pled guilty the morning of his scheduled trial, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Jesse Alday, 34, was set for trial Monday but instead pled guilty to two counts of Sexual Battery on a Child (12 years of age or older but less than 18), and one count of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation as part of a plea agreement.
Circuit Court Judge Brandon Young accepted the plea and sentenced the defendant to 25 years in prison on the first two charges, and 15 years on the third charge, with all three sentences running concurrently (at the same time).
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Calhoun County Chief Prosecutor William Wright was prepared to present witnesses and evidence, including investigators from the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, proving the defendant provided the minor with intoxicants and ultimately caused her to become pregnant.
As part of the plea, the defendant was designated as a Sexual Predator. Under the Florida Sexual Predators Act, if the defendant serves his sentence and is released, he must register with the Sheriff’s Office and supply his address and any electronic mail addresses or internet identifiers. He also must report any vehicles he owns, cell phone numbers, employment status, and register at the Driver’s License Office.
Law enforcement agencies must notify every licensed school and the public within a 1-mile radius of the defendant’s home by supplying his name, a picture, and the nature of his offense. Sexual Predator information, such as areas where they live and information about your neighborhood, is available at https://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender.
Basford thanked the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office for its work on a difficult case, as well as the GCCAC, which interviews juveniles victims of sexual assaults.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.