Vero Beach man, 67, accused of using screwdriver to repeatedly sexually assault girl, 4
September 27th, 2009 by TCPalm.comINDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Authorities said a 67-year-old man used a screwdriver in repeated sexual assaults on a 4-year-old girl.
Horace Lanette Dean of the 8700 block of 100th Court, Vero Beach, was charged with capital sexual battery Thursday and was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail at the Indian River County Jail.
Detectives for the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Dean when the girl was treated for injuries at Indian River Medical Center, the arrest affidavit said. The mother of the child told detectives the girl had been complaining of vaginal irritation for a couple of weeks and she initially believed the problem was a urinary tract infection. But the girl told the mother about the incidents with Dean and the screwdriver, the affidavit said.
Dean denied committing the crimes in his interview with detectives, his affidavit said.
“He’s been here 50 years in this community and has been an outstanding citizen,” said Dean’s attorney, Bob Stone. “I assure you he intends to defend this case to the fullest. In the end, the truth will come out.”
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September 27th, 2009 at 10:54 am
sick bastard
September 27th, 2009 at 11:33 am
Honestly, as horrible as this article is (my heart goes out to the girl’s family) it is just as disturbing as the PB POst/TC News posting it. Have we come to a society where we must be as graphic as possible to invoke readers? I encourage my 12 year old son to read the paper and read news online. It’s stories WRITTEN like this, that make me want to turn off the news and tell him to play in his room until he is 30.
I appreciate the news, but tone down the vulgarity of it. The shock and awe factor are not needed.
September 27th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Another case for death penalty. Hurt a child like that and you automatically qualify for electrocution.
By the way, Ms. McGard, how would you have written it so that your precious child could read it without the VULGARITY.
September 27th, 2009 at 11:46 am
Sick SOB…..
September 27th, 2009 at 11:49 am
It needs to be written the way it happened. That way liberal minded people who believe in giving people a second chance may reconsider. Death penelty needs to be made more efficient.
September 27th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Here we go again, Palm Beach Post. There are effective ways to report news, without being sexually explicit. I will never have my children getting current event information from you again.
September 27th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
Before this i ask god to forgive me for what i am about to wish on another human……that SOB needs to have hot coal shoved in his eye not the one he winks out though….jail is too good for these kind of people,yet the systems allows them to walk free………………………….
September 27th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Omg… I wonder sometime what this world becoming of, cause every where around me just a mess, people killing and harming people in all kind of ways, WHY? Come on peoples can we just be peaceful and just Appreciate life just by showing respect and stop all the harmful things. Only 21 yrs. of age and I’m expiring all that crime, imagine by the time I’m 30 yrs. old not even 50 yrs. if we don’t change our way now. all i ever dream is to be PEACEFUL. I wonder when this dream will be true. if this man is guilty he need to be killed… thanx to P.B.P WITH THE LATEST NEWS…
September 27th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
How sick - a 67 year old repeatedly does this horrofic act. May he burn in hell. That poor child.
September 27th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Palm Beach Post/ T C News…Keep doing your job! There was no gratuitous detailing of what happened. The facts of the event were simply stated. If your that sensitive, then you need to toughen up. Its a sick world and covering up horrific crimes does not stop them from occuring. Hiding your kids from it protects them in the short term. But sends them out into the world unprepared for reality.
September 27th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
The post needs to do its job and report things like this. we are living in a sick world with lots of sick people and we need to protect our children. how else can we keep them safe if the news is not put out there.
This does make me want to keep my kids close to me at all times and NOT let them out of my sight.
So sad you cant trust anyone these days
September 27th, 2009 at 2:13 pm
I couldnt agree more with Dan. Ms. Mccgard, Whats going to happend when your children are grown up and they have no idea what the real world is really like because you sheltered them all there lives? i understand censoring things when they at an extremely young age. But com’on 12 years old? Whats going to happend when he enters high school? hes not going to know how to handle himself
September 27th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
It is so natural to assume the little girl told the truth ant the Post reported everything completely and accurately. From experience, I know that 1; Children lie for all kinds of reasons; and 2; The Post is not a very through reporter. Plus there are probably details withheld from the Post. So this all ads up to: We don’t know the truth and won’t know the truth until (at least) the trial. This is why in this country, we are all assumed innocent until proven guilty. It will be a sad day indeed when a mere accusation can convict another.
To the Moms and Dads who want to protect their children, tell them the truth about the dangers out there and don’t sugar coat it. My son wouldn’t wander away at the mall and didn’t complain when we held his hand. He grew up to be a strong man and a great dad.
September 27th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
I understand toughening up and being aware of whats going on around me, but seriously do we need to know what was done sexually to a 4 year old girl with a SCREWDRIVER? My son is aware that there are bad people out there (he’s a brown belt in tae kwon do for his protection against sick f**kers like this) My family does not live with our heads buried in the sand either, but I don’t think the graphics of this crime need to be put out there for the intent of hammering home the sadness and disgust of this poor girl’s incident.
September 28th, 2009 at 6:16 am
Please be aware that the ACLU is seeking to end the LIFETIME Registry for Sex Offenders
http://morningsentinel.mainetoday.com/news/local/6254286.html
AND
they seek to RESCIND any restrictions on where sex offenders live.
http://www.theunionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Judge+strikes+down+Dover+sex+offender+ban&articleId=694862bf-230e-48e9-9021-d8f8d9a9fd2b
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/nj_supreme_court_strikes_down.html
Next will be Florida. Watch who YOU vote for. These people appoint/approve judges with lifetime positions.
Protect our most vulnerable, protect our young and the old.
Who funds the ACLU?
http://www.aclu.org/about/staff/13279res20030205.html
September 28th, 2009 at 11:55 pm
Response to :Jen McGard
I am going to take a wild guess in saying my opinion means 0 as to whether or not I find this article vulgar in any way.
With this being said, I also believe that it is the reporters goal to land the “BIG STORY” and don’t believe that would’ve happened had the headlines read “Vero Beach man,67 accused of sexually assaulting girl,4.” Sad, maybe. True, definately! We all know that headlines like this are all too familiar. So as tasteless as you may find it, the reporter scored big on an audience for his article.
It lured you in enough to read it and will probably continue doing so, regardless of what the article entails……
September 29th, 2009 at 6:26 am
Whatever happen to “INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY”?!?!?! Do any of you know any of the circumstances surrounding the situation here? Do any of you know this man personally? Do any of you know the mother that is making these accusations? Do any of you know the kind of company this mother keeps? DONT BE SO QUICK TO JUDGE!!!!!!
September 29th, 2009 at 6:30 am
Oh and by the way when this is all over and this man is cleared of this I want to see all of you that was so quick to get on here and JUDGE be the first to get on here and apologize to this man publicly and it will happen I assure you.
September 29th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Brenda Worthington has a point. This is only an accusation and by no means proof a crime was committed. There may be more here than meets the eye. We have to wait and allow the system to work. Only then can we draw a conclusion.
September 30th, 2009 at 11:34 pm
Ms Worthington I agree with you 101%. People that can judge other people by only reading a small article as here are very small people. There has to been more to the story. Has any of you people interview the child. Have any of you interview the mother. But most of all have any of you interview Mr. Dean. I DON’T THINK SO. Get the truth before calling names or judging others. You know when you point your finger at others three more are coming back at you.