A man accused of sexually battering a teenage girl over a 2-year period was found guilty Thursday and sentenced to consecutive Life sentences, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Thomas Lamonte Moses, 55, of Panama City, was found guilty of two counts of Sexual Battery on a Child 12 Years of Age or older but Under 18, as well as Lewd and Lascivious Molestation. The 6-person jury reached the verdict Thursday afternoon in about 35 minutes after Bay County Chief Prosecutor Mark Graham presented his case in the 1-day trial.
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Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register then sentenced Moses to Life in prison on each of the sexual battery charges, plus 15 years for the Lewd and Lascivious Molestation, with each charge running consecutively. Judge Register also designated the defendant as a Sexual Predator.
Graham and Co-Prosecutor Jeffrey Moore called witnesses, including the victim and the lead Bay County Sheriff’s Office detective, to prove their case.
“The victim showed tremendous courage and strength in testifying against her attacker,” Graham said. “Her testimony, along with the work of the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center and Bay County Sheriff’s Office, helped ensure this defendant will never again harm a child.”
The testimony and evidence showed that the defendant sexually battered the victim over a two-year period from 2020 to 2022.
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center for its work on the case.*-
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.