A Sunny Isles Beach man, identified as Russian tourist Andrei Sevastianov, has entered a guilty plea on charges of child abuse involving his 2-year-old daughter, court proceedings confirmed today. According to NBC Miami, Sevastianov was sentenced to 90 days in the Miami-Dade County Jail with credit for his time served since his booking in May, exceeding 100 days behind bars.
Post-jail sentence, Sevastianov faces two years of community control often referred to as house arrest, followed by a five-year probationary period, the court detailed what his post-release supervision should involve, including mandatory anger management and parenting courses, as well as adherence to the guidelines set by the Department of Children and Families; he is permitted to have contact with his child but was instructed with a clear caveat that he must not cause her harm.
The investigation that led to his arrest emanated from an anonymous tip which brought Sunny Isles Beach police to the La Perla Condos; surveillance footage there captured the disturbing acts where authorities observed Sevastianov's aggressive handling of his daughter, dragging her by her hair, dropping her, kicking her, and at one point seemingly choking her with a towel.
The severity of the situation was underscored by Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michelle A. Delancy in a virtual hearing, where she strictly advised the defendant, "Don't mess this up,” Delancy's statement, as reported by Local 10 News, followed her caution that violations of the court's conditions could lead to up to 10 years in state prison; Sevastianov acknowledged this possibility in his response to her, “Yes, I understand that.”
Sevastianov is set to be deported to Russia, possibly as soon as tomorrow, following the court’s ruling. Originally charged with aggravated child abuse and resisting arrest with violence, Sevastianov has now been convicted and faces deportation.
