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(Marion County, FL) Wednesday, a jury found 61-year-old Terry Franklin Pennington guilty of three counts of Lewd and Lascivious Battery of a Child 12 Years of Age but less than 16 Years of Age and one count of Lewd and Lascivious Molestation of a Child 12 Years of Age but less than 16 Years of Age.

Pennington was taken into custody to await his sentencing hearing, which will take place on July 16th at 1 p.m.

On July 22, 2025, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) received a report from the Department of Children and Family Services regarding a sexual offense against a juvenile victim. MCSO Special Victims Unit Sergeant Larocque was assigned the case and began her investigation into the alleged offense.

In reviewing the initial report, Sergeant Larocque learned that the 14-year-old victim had been sexually battered by the defendant, Pennington, over the course of a month. Prior to the incidents, Pennington would supply marijuana to the minor child for consumption. Afterward, he would engage in illicit sexual activities with the child.

A forensic interview was set up with the child victim at Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection. During the recorded Child Protection Team (CPT) interview, the victim detailed various sexual incidents committed by Pennington and provided critical corroborating information to support the evidence collected.

On August 1, 2025, investigators conducted an interview with the defendant. While questioning Pennington regarding the incident involving the victim, the defendant confirmed several of the facts the victim disclosed during their CPT interview. However, Pennington denied having sexual intercourse with the child.

DNA evidence collected from both the victim and defendant was submitted to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for analysis. The returned laboratory report confirmed DNA collected from the victim’s person matched that of the DNA collected from Pennington.

Assistant State Attorneys Madison Kirkland and Madison Bryan successfully prosecuted this case.

Published on 06/12/2026.

(Lake County, FL) Yesterday, in the courtroom of Judge James R. Baxley, jurors found 36-year-old John Tharan Knotts guilty on all charges. Knotts was charged with 19 felony counts of Possession of Child Pornography (10 or more images).

“With this conviction, we take another child predator off our streets,” said Chief Assistant State Attorney Walter Forgie, of the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office. “We have no tolerance for those who possess child pornography or commit any other crimes against children.”

Knotts was arrested in February of 2022 following a Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigation after officials received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating an online user had uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material.

While investigating the tip, FDLE Agent Torres obtained an IP address from the account used to upload and distribute the illicit material. After issuing an investigative subpoena to the internet servicer, Agent Torres learned the account owner was Knotts, with a registered address off Barksdale Drive in Leesburg, FL.

Officials responded to Knotts’s residence, where they seized various electronic devices for forensic examination. After locating numerous files of child pornography, an arrest warrant was issued for Knotts, who was incarcerated at the time on other child pornography charges.

This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Kati Cosden and Eduardo Faria.

Published on 06/11/2026.

(Marion County, FL) In the courtroom of Judge Peter M. Brigham, jurors found 56-year-old Dermon Kenneth Thomas guilty after deliberating yesterday. Thomas was convicted of Traveling to Meet a Minor, Soliciting a Child for Unlawful Sexual Conduct, and Using a Two-Way Communication Device to Commit a Felony.

Thomas was arrested in July of 2025, following a Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) investigation.

On July 21, 2025, members of the MCSO, along with the assistance of several other law enforcement agencies, conducted an online investigation targeting persons who use the internet to sexually exploit children.

During an undercover operation, MCSO Detective Lowder posed as a 14-year-old female child on an online account. Thomas messaged the decoy user and, after repeatedly being informed of the minor’s age, still attempted to solicit sex from the child.

Thomas would later request to meet with the child to engage in sexual activities. The next day, officials coordinated a time and location to meet Thomas, where he was promptly arrested. Initially, Thomas denied knowing the age of the decoy, but later admitted to knowing she was 14-years-old.

“With every covert operation like this, our law enforcement partners further protect our children from dangerous individuals like this defendant,” said Walter Forgie, Fifth Judicial Circuit Chief Assistant State Attorney. “One more predator is off the streets, helping to keep our community safer than it was before.”

This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Janine Nixon. Thank you to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office for conducting these covert operations to remove offenders from our streets before they can victimize the children in our community.

Published on 06/05/2026.

(Lake County, FL) Today, State Attorney Bill Gladson of the Fifth Judicial Circuit announces the grand jury indictment of 41-year-old Schubert Navarroza Macarat for crimes against a minor child. Given the severity of the crime and its impact on the victim, the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office has filed a notice that it intends to seek the death penalty pursuant to Florida Statutes 794.011(2)(a) and 921.1425.

“This kind of criminal depravity demands only one response from the State. Today, I filed Notice of Intent to Seek the Death Penalty in the event the defendant is found guilty,” said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “We are seeking to prematurely end this defendant’s life because the crimes he committed are so heinous that no other punishment is fitting.”

On March 22, 2026, in the early evening hours, Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a call for service regarding a past sexual offense. Upon arrival, law enforcement officers spoke with the caller, who reported that a child had just disclosed long-term, ongoing sexual abuse.

During a forensic interview with the child, the child confirmed the abuse. Additional information was also obtained, leading to the collection of more evidence. Detectives recovered a 4-terabyte hard drive with at least 3,000 videos – 700 of which have been confirmed to be child sexual abuse material.

A grand jury was convened yesterday to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to charge Macarat. The grand jury returned a true bill of indictment for a total of 47 separate felonies, including 12 counts of Sexual Battery upon a Child less than 12 years of age.

Macarat was arrested and remains in custody on no-bond status at the Lake County Detention Facility.

Assistant State Attorney Shannon Schlarf is prosecuting the case.

Published on 5/27/2026.

(Hernando County, FL) On Monday, May 18, 2026, 56-year-old Thomas Roger Chrystie was found guilty of Trafficking in Methamphetamine and Possession of Paraphernalia.

Jurors deliberated for 14 minutes, after hearing the testimony of law enforcement with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), expert testimony from analysts with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and examining evidence presented during the trial, before rendering their verdict.

After the verdict was read, Judge Stephen E. Toner remanded Chrystie into custody to await his sentencing.

Back in December of 2023, members of HCSO’s Vice and Narcotics Unit, during their undercover street-level narcotics operation, discovered that the defendant was involved in the sale and delivery of large quantities of methamphetamine in Hernando County.

Officials conducted a controlled buy with Chrystie, who provided law enforcement with illicit narcotics. After collecting the crystalline substance, officers conducted a presumptive test, which yielded a positive result of methamphetamine with a total packed weight of 28.9 grams. The substance was then sent off to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Crime Laboratory for further confirmation.

The outcome of this case was a result of the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners, as well as Assistant State Attorneys Lyndsey Pruett and Kasey Whitson.

Published on 05/20/2026.

(Marion County, FL) Yesterday, May 14, 2026, jurors delivered their verdict in the 2019 death of 2-month-old Wailan Roy Schroer. After reviewing irrefutable evidence and listening to expert testimony, jurors found 43-year-old Melissa Waiman Schroer guilty of Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child. Schroer will be sentenced on June 29, 2026, by Judge Barbara Kissner.

“It’s heartbreaking to learn of the conditions this young, vulnerable, and innocent infant was exposed to,” said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “His short life was selfishly taken away because of the decision of this degenerate defendant who chose to use illicit narcotics instead of concerning herself with the well-being of her own child.”

On December 11, 2019, law enforcement officers were dispatched to the Villages Hospital in reference to a deceased infant. Upon arrival, officers were informed that the infant was found unresponsive at a
residence located off Southeast 36th Avenue in Ocala, Florida, prior to being driven to the hospital.

Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the home, where the defendant advised that she had put the infant to sleep while she took a nap. Schroer was awakened by another child in the residence who indicated the victim was not breathing. At the time, Schroer informed her husband, Jeffery Schroer, that Wailan was not breathing. J. Schroer then grabbed the infant and drove him to the Villages hospital. The victim was pronounced deceased upon arrival by medical personnel.

Major Crimes Detectives separately interviewed both defendant Schroer and her husband, who gave varying accounts of events leading up to the victim’s death. On February 5, 2020, the Medical Examiner’s Office concluded its autopsy of the victim and determined the cause of death to be methamphetamine toxicity with contributing conditions of dehydration and inanition. The victim’s death was subsequently ruled a homicide. Based upon this information and a lengthy investigation, probable cause was established for the defendant and her husband’s arrest.

Authorities attempted to make contact with defendant Schroer and J. Schroer but were unsuccessful. It was later learned that the couple had fled the state and were now living in Florence, Kentucky. Both the defendant and J. Schroer were apprehended on December 10, 2021, by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office and extradited to Florida.

The defendant’s husband, J. Schroer, was charged with the same crime and is pending prosecution.

This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Marissa Meyer and Katrina Self.

Published on 05/15/2026.

(Lake County, FL) Forty-one-year-old Xavier Mendez, of Groveland, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being found guilty by a jury last month of 12 counts of Possession of Child Pornography. Upon his release, Mendez will be required to register as a Sexual Offender and complete four years of probation.

In July of 2024, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating an online user had uploaded files containing possible child pornography.

FDLE Special Agent Marsian investigated the lead and learned that a Kik user had utilized the platform to share digital files depicting the sexual exploitation of a child. During the investigation, SA Marsian determined that the account belonged to the defendant, who resided at an address off Prairie Falcon Drive in Groveland, Florida.

The investigation was turned over to the Groveland Police Department, where it was assigned to Detective Stellinga. After reviewing the report, a search warrant was issued for Mendez’s residence, where officials seized numerous electronic devices as evidence.

A digital forensics examination of the devices collected from the defendant revealed multiple files of child sexual abuse material. An arrest warrant was issued for Mendez, who was subsequently taken into custody shortly after.

This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Tyler Duffy and Devon Razey.

Published on 05/07/2026.

(Lake County, FL) Last Wednesday, April 22, 2026, jurors found 35-year-old Alexander Aguilar guilty of Second-Degree Murder with a Firearm and Aggravated Battery with a Firearm. Aguilar’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 15, 2026, at 9 a.m.

The charges stem from an incident back in June of 2019, in which Mascotte Police Department officers responded to a call for service regarding a shooting that had occurred. When officials arrived on scene, they located the first victim, 35-year-old Juan Ramon Cruz, lying on the street unresponsive. Cruz was pronounced deceased on scene.

Officers also identified another victim, who had a gunshot wound to the knee. Emergency medical personnel began treatment of the victim’s injuries. While being treated, the victim informed law enforcement that Aguilar had fired shots at both victims before leaving the scene in a black Ford F-350 pickup truck.

Another witness on scene stated to detectives that several friends were at the location drinking when the defendant and his friends arrived. During that time, the defendant and the victim got into a physical argument, which was broken up by other witness. The Defendant and his friends walked back to the front yard where the Defendant then armed himself and fired in the direction of both victims. Aguilar then fled the area.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) was called out to assist with the investigation. LCSO officials sent out an alert for the vehicle, and deputies with the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) observed the truck in their jurisdiction and conducted a traffic stop.

SCSO deputies noticed bullet holes on the side of the vehicle and had both occupants exit. Aguilar was identified as the passenger of the vehicle and detained for questioning. After being read his Miranda Warnings Aguilar admitted to pulling out a firearm and shooting both victims. Aguilar claimed it was self-defense. The jury rejected this argument and found the Defendant guilty.

Assistant State Attorney Edward Moffitt prosecuted the case with assistance from Victim Advocate Celena Ikensaa and Assistant State Attorney Eduardo Faria.

Published on 05/01/2026.

(Citrus County, FL) Monday, April 27, 2026, 37-year-old William Michael Larsen Sr. of Floral City, Florida, was indicted by a grand jury in the death of 67-year-old Bryant Milo Leggett.

A grand jury was convened to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to charge Larsen with the murder of Leggett and the subsequent crimes relating to the homicide. The grand jury returned a true bill of indictment for the following charges:

·MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE – PREMEDITATED 782.04(1)(a)1
·ARSON 806.01(2)
·TAMPERING WITH AN ELECTRONIC MONITORING DEVICE 843.23(2) and 843.23(3)(a)
·BATTERY ON A LAW ENFORCEMENT OR OTHER OFFICER 784.03(1)(a) and 784.07(2)

On or about April 7, 2026, Larsen did unlawfully and from a premeditated design effect the death of a human being, Bryant Leggett.

Given the severity of the crime and its impact on the victim’s family and community, the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office has filed a notice that it intends to seek the death penalty pursuant to Florida Statutes.

Larsen remains in custody on no-bond status at the Lecanto Detention Facility.

Assistant State Attorneys Blake Shore and Richard Buxman are prosecuting the case.

Published on 04/29/2026.

(Lake County, FL) Today, the Office of State Attorney Bill Gladson for the Fifth Judicial Circuit announces the grand jury indictment of 43-year-old Matthew Pasco of Leesburg, Florida.

A grand jury was convened to determine whether there was sufficient evidence to charge Pasco for the death of 36-year-old Shawn Cyriacks. The grand jury returned a true bill of indictment for the following charges:

·MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE WITH A FIREARM (PREMEDITATED) – 782.04(1)(a)1,775.087(2)(a) l, 775.087(2)(a)2, and 775.087(2)(a)3

·POSSESSION OF A FIREARM BY A FELON – 790.23(1)(a),790.23(3), AND 775.087(2)(a)l

On or about April 17, 2026, Pasco did unlawfully and from a premeditated design effect the death of a human being, Shawn Cyriacks, and during the commission of the offense, actually possessed and discharged a firearm, causing the death of Cyriacks.

The State Attorney’s Office of the Fifth Judicial Circuit will continue to ensure public safety by enforcing the criminal laws of the State of Florida and holding those who violate our laws accountable for their actions, while seeking justice on behalf of all victims.

Pasco is in custody at the Lake County Detention Facility on a no-bond status.

Assistant State Attorney Nicholas Camuccio is prosecuting the case.

Published on 4/25/2026.