April 2, 2008
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

DELTONA MAN CHARGED WITH SEXUALLY BATTERING 4-YEAR-OLD GIRL AT HOME DAYCARE

A 59-year-old Deltona man is facing charges that he sexually battered a 4-year-old girl at a home daycare being run out of the man’s house. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office arrested Rene Perez late Wednesday morning following a nearly three-month investigation into allegations of sex offenses at Perez’ home at 3205 Croton Ave. Perez’ wife operates the home daycare business, but Perez also helped out with the children. After the allegations surfaced earlier this year, the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) stepped in to ensure that Perez wasn’t in the home while children were present. Perez’ wife has since voluntarily shut down the business, and Sheriff’s investigators so far are unaware of any other victims. 

The allegations against Perez were first reported to DCF, which then called in the Sheriff’s Office in January to initiate a criminal investigation. The victim’s mother said her daughter told her that Perez supposedly would take the girl into the bathroom to watch him urinate. Based on the girl’s disclosures, the mother suspected more was going on. Perez initially denied the allegations. However, investigators with the Sheriff’s Office’s Sex Crimes Unit eventually were able to secretly record phone conversations with Perez where he admitted becoming sexually aroused around the girl, masturbating in front of her and sexually battering her on at least one occasion. In one of the recorded conversations, Perez blamed his actions on a “moment of weakness.” The girl had been going to daycare at the house since she was 6-months-old. 

Sheriff’s investigator Tara Burke presented her findings on Tuesday to Circuit Court Judge Frank Marriott, who issued an arrest warrant charging Perez with sexual battery on a victim under the age of 12. Deputies tried to serve the warrant at Perez’ house early Wednesday morning, but no one was home. Deputies left a card at the house and asked Perez to contact them. He was arrested shortly before 10 a.m. Wednesday morning when he showed up at the Sheriff’s Office’s Deltona substation to find out why deputies were looking for him. Perez was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail in Daytona Beach at 11:16 a.m. and is being held without bond. 

Anyone with information about other victims is asked to contact their local law enforcement agency.