Sarasota Man Faces Charges For Sexually Abusing Daughter, Twins

A 49-year-old Sarasota man is facing sexual battery and molestation charges against his 4-year-old daughter and a set of 7-year-old twins, according to a probable cause affidavit and court documents.

This is not the first time Corey Raia, of 2915 Lexington St., Apt. 15, has faced these charges against children, according to court records. Raia was arrested and charged for the latest case by the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office on Nov. 13.

On Nov. 4, one of the 7-year-old twin girls had told her mother that she and her sister were molested by Raia, according to the probable cause affidavit.

During a Nov. 6 interview with he Child Protection team, one of the twins said the incidents occurred during a sleepover at Raia's home where he had awoken her and touched and kissed her in inappropriate places and that she had also witnessed Raia pull her sister's underwear down and inappropriately touched her and Raia had done the same with his 4-year-old daughter, according to the affidavit.

The victim told detectives that the incidents occurred on more than one occasion during sleepovers at Raia's home, according to the affidavit. The second twin slapped Raia's hand away but he continued to touch her, according to the affidavit and when she asked Raia if he pulled her pants down the prior night, Raia told her that "he thinks it was the cat that pulled down her pants last night."

Raia refused a polygraph examination, according to the affidavit, and he pled not guilty to the charges Friday.

Raia faced lewd and lascivious behavior, sexual assault and molestation charges against an 11-year-old babysitter and her sister while in Manatee County in 2009, but those charges were dropped in 2010 because of confusing or unclear statements during her deposition, according to court records. The 11-year-old girl, who was babysitting Raia's infant, had also told detectives she was molested on Raia's boat as well, according to court documents, but there was apparent confusion of whether something happened on the boat or whether the boat trip was on the same day as the babysitting night while watching a movie. One of the victims also testified in a deposition that Raia had inappropriately touched the infant while changing her diaper, but that evidence was not admissible in court for the charge, according to court documents. 

The 11-year-old's mother testified that Raia had given one of the children alcohol before one of the incidents, according to court records.

When dealing with testimony of children 11 and younger, part of of the testimony by the child outside of the presence of a jury can be considered under Florida's child hearsay law, according to court records , but each set of statements has to be ruled by the court to whether be included in that exemption, whether if the child can testify or if the child cannot be a witness due to severe emotional or mental harm, according to the Florida Bar.