Crime & Safety

Sarasota Man Gets Life In Prison For Sexually Abusing Children

Melquiades Lopez-Tovar will spend his life behind bars after his conviction this week.

A man who molested a boy and a girl more than a decade ago was convicted on molestation charges and will spend his life in prison.

A Sarsaota County jury found Melquiades Lopez-Tovar guilty this week on sexual battery on a person younger than 12 and lews and lascivious molestation on a person younger than 12, according to the Sarasota Police Department. 

At the time of the crimes about 11 years ago, the female victim was 10-11 years old and the male victim was 6-7 years old.  Lopez-Tovar had been dating the victims’ mother, police said. The Sexual Battery of the female victim occurred in the 6600 block of Avenue A, in Sarasota. The Sexual Battery of the male victim occurred in the 2200 block of Janie Poe Drive. 

Find out what's happening in Sarasotawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Both incidents occurred when the mother had left the victims’ in the care of Lopez-Tovar, police said.

After his conviction, Lopez-Tovar was sentenced to life in prison on the sexual battery charge and 30 years in prison on the lewd and lascivious molestation charge, according to police.

Find out what's happening in Sarasotawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Staff reports were used in this story. 


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