A Southport man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty earlier this month of befriending a young teen, proving her with alcohol and sexually assaulting her, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Benjamin Patrick Walsh, 54, was found guilty Sept. 10 of Unlawful Sexual Activity with a Minor. At sentencing, Circuit Court Judge Dustin Stephenson ordered the defendant to serve a 15-year term. Judge Stephenson also designated the defendant as a Sexual Offender.
Evidence and witnesses called by Prosecutor Dustin Miller proved Walsh was about 51 and the victim was about 16 the first time he attacked her in his home in 2021. The victim testified the defendant treated her special until one night when he sexually battered her.
Miller said the evidence showed the defendant “groomed” the victim over time, a tactic seen in many child sexual abuse cases.
“Our community will not tolerate the grooming of our youth nor preying on their innocence for sexual gratification,” Miller said.
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The case began in 2022 with the Bay County Sheriff’s Office receiving a report that the victim had been sexually abused. Several agencies collaborated to gather evidence that led to the charges and conviction.
Basford thanked the Bay County Sheriffs Office and the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, saying successful prosecutions like this would not be possible without their work.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.