[PHOTO CREDIT: Lake County Sheriff’s Office]
[Original Publish Date: 09/03/20]
LEESBURG, Florida — “Man I (expletive) up and going away for a long time I shouldn’t have done that,” are the words a man allegedly uttered to police after being caught by a witness sexually battering a 5-year-old girl, according to an arrest affidavit.
A woman called Leesburg Police around 12:30 p.m. Aug. 25 and said they needed to respond quickly before she killed Joshua Leon Redmond Dudley, 26. When LPD arrived at the home, the witness said Dudley molested the young girl and she did not understand why he would do this, according to the affidavit. The witness then took police to a vehicle Dudley was sitting in and he was ordered out.
Dudley told the officer his name and began uttering, “Man I (expletive) up and going away for a long time I shouldn’t have done that,” and then said, “I don’t know why I did that there is something wrong with me,” the affidavit states.
Dudley told police the victim — who is only 5 years old — began talking “sexual” to him and asked him to go to the laundry room with him. A sex act took place in the laundry room for about five minutes until the witness entered the room, according to the affidavit.
The victim told her mother “Boops” (Dudley’s nickname) forced her to perform the act even though she told him no and told police a similar account. Dudley was charged with domestic sex battery and released on just $15,000 bond on Thursday.
On Monday, Dudley was arrested again following an interview with the victim at the Children’s Advocacy Center, according to a second arrest affidavit. The victim revealed Dudley had performed another sex act in the laundry room.
“Although this incident took place during the [laundry room incident] the additional findings were not discovered until after the defendant was booked and turned over to the Lake County Jail on the charge of Sexual Battery (domestic,) victim less than 12. Based on the victim’s statements, I did determine that the defendant did commit Lewd and Lascivious molestation, victim less than 12 yoa, offender older than 18 yoa…,” an LPD detective stated in the affidavit.
Dudley is now being held in the LCJ on no bond, a stipulation requested by the LPD detective, according to the affidavit.
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. Born and raised in Lake County, she is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She started her journalism career at LSSC, where she was editor of both student publications, The Angler and The Odyssey. Her professional career began at the Daily Commercial in 2004 where she covered cops and courts the majority of her time there until she left in 2009. Currently, along with being Editor-in-Chief of Lake Legal News, she is the Florida bureau chief for an international media organization. She has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
