A shocking case has emerged from the Florida Keys, where a sailboat became the setting for disturbing alleged sexual crimes against children. Monroe County authorities have arrested Eric Cadogan, formerly of the Florida Keys and recently of La Crosse, Wisconsin, on a litany of felony charges that include incest, sexual assault on a minor, child cruelty, and lewd and lascivious behavior on a child. Reports from the Miami Herald indicate that Cadogan lived on the boat in Marathon with his wife and five children, where he reportedly molested and filmed the children.
Cadogan has already been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison last month on separate charges of distributing child pornography. He was apprehended after authorities, during a sting operation, identified him attempting to sell explicit images of children. He inadvertently made contact with an undercover agent over a messaging app. Now, additional allegations have been brought to light with Monroe County Sheriff's Office, the FBI, and Office of the State Attorney working together to uncover these heinous acts. According to a NBC Miami report, the investigation was sparked after these authorities delved deeper into the suspect's background following his previous conviction.
Cadogan's wife, Kia Lynn Cadogan, is also embroiled in the scandal, facing severe allegations herself. She was arrested and charged with multiple counts of aggravated child abuse and an accusation of child sexual battery. Her case is yet to be resolved and she remains in jail on a $550,000 bond. Monroe County Sheriff Rick Ramsay made his stance clear: "Myself, and the men and women of the Sheriff’s Office are committed to protecting the most vulnerable among us — our children," as he was quoted by the Miami Herald.
The investigation revealed details of multiple instances where Eric Cadogan allegedly raped and coerced children to engage in sexual acts, capturing these crimes on his cell phone. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office took swift action to ensure the safety of the children involved and secured Eric Cadogan under arrest with a bond set at $2.2 million. The chilling and heartbreaking reality of these accusations has led to the children being taken into custody by the Florida Department of Children and Families, a necessary step to begin to afford them some measure of protection from further harm.
Ramsay did not mince words when addressing the role of Kia Cadogen in the abuse, outright rejecting her claims of coercion and labelling her "equally a co-conspirator" in the horrific crimes, as he conveyed to the Miami Herald.
