A Lake County man has been sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty in a 2020 child sex offense case.
Lake County jurors this past week found 56-year-old Miguel Mendoza Ortiz guilty of lewd and lascivious molestation of a child less than 12 years of age and giving obscene material to a minor. Immediately after his the announcement of the verdict, Ortiz was sentenced to life in prison by Judge Cary Rada.
Ortiz was arrested in July 2020 following a Tavares Police Department investigation after an individual reported to law enforcement that the juvenile victim had disclosed being sexually abused by Ortiz.
Earlier that month, officials with TPD made contact with the child who advised of numerous sex offenses committed by Ortiz. Detectives launched a thorough investigation which revealed Ortiz had abused the victim multiple times. The investigation resulted in the arrest of Ortiz for lewd and lascivious behavior and giving obscene material to a minor.
“I commend this citizen for stepping up to help protect this child,” said Walter Forgie, Fifth Judicial Circuit Chief Assistant State Attorney. “They contacted law enforcement who were able to get the victim to a safe place, investigate and apprehend this offender.”
This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Kati Cosden and Chelsey Omega.