TAVARES, Fla. – The Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office held a news conference on Tuesday about a human trafficking case involving a 31-year-old man and a minor.
State Attorney Bill Gladson spoke at the Lake County Courthouse in Tavares and was joined by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier and Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri.
In July 2024, the Eustis Police Department responded to a distressing 911 hang-up call, leading them to a young woman in distress.
According to Gladson, upon approaching the woman, officers learned that she had been raped and threatened by a man in an apartment nearby. The police quickly located the suspect, identified as Jose Gomez, who initially refused to cooperate. After persistent efforts, officers arrested Gomez on charges of sexual battery, false imprisonment, and resisting arrest without violence.
Gladson said the victim had originally claimed to be an adult. However, further inquiries confirmed she was much younger. Following her statement, law enforcement obtained a search warrant to extract data from Gomez’s phone. Text messages between Gomez and the victim confirmed her story while DNA evidence further solidified the case against him.
“Trafficking a child for sex carries a mandatory life sentence,” said Gladson. “We changed the charges from sexual battery to lewd, lascivious battery upon a child and human trafficking because of her age.”
Gomez marks the 121st individual sentenced to life in prison since the current administration took office.