A man accused of sexually abusing a young girl over a 3-year period was found guilty as charged on all counts Thursday evening, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Shane Clinton McKinney, 44, of Southport, was found guilty of Sexual Battery on a Person Less Than 12 Years of Age, and 3 counts of Lewd and Lascivious Molestation. The jury deliberated for about 45 minutes after Prosecutor JP Ferreira presented the State’s case and made his closing argument.
Circuit Court Judge Brantley Clark set sentencing for July 22 at 9 a.m.
“The victim is a courageous young girl who took the stand against her attacker and helped bring him to justice,” Ferreira said. “Her testimony, the testimony of 2 previous victims who came forward, and the collaborative work between our office, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, and Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center also helped ensure he will not be a threat to our community in the foreseeable future.”
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Ferreira called 7 witnesses, including the victim in this case and two other females who said they were assaulted under similar circumstances. The defendant is awaiting trial in one of those cases.
The defendant was charged with sexually assaulting and molesting the victim in this case multiple times between the beginning of 2017 and the end of 2020. Her description of the attacks to law enforcement and interviewers at the GCCAC were similar in nature to the accounts given by the victims in the two other cases.
Basford thanked the victims from each case for their assistance and testimony, as well as the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center for their ongoing work to protect children and hold accountable those who hurt them.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.