Two Port Charlotte men are sitting in jail without bond after separate Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office investigations into alleged sexual offenses involving minors. Deputies say 45-year-old David John Reyes and 71-year-old Timothy Roy Bush were arrested in unrelated cases, both involving children, and both men reportedly confessed during questioning.
According to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, deputies were first called on Wednesday to a home on Appian Street for a domestic disturbance. After a disclosure from the reported victim, detectives with the Major Crimes Unit took over and opened a sex-crimes investigation involving Reyes. The sheriff’s office says Reyes was already in custody on unrelated charges, so detectives interviewed him at the Charlotte County Jail, where he gave what the agency described as a full confession.
Reyes is charged with Unlawful Sexual Activity with Certain Minors, a second-degree felony. Investigators allege he had an illegal sexual relationship with a person who reported that it began when she was 17. The sheriff’s office also notes that Reyes has a prior conviction involving a 15-year-old.
In a separate case, detectives arrested Bush at his home on Aaron Street and charged him with three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation involving a victim under 12, with the alleged abuse occurring multiple times in January and February and first being reported to Hillsborough County authorities in March, as reported by Tampa Free Press. Both suspects gave statements to detectives, according to Tampa Free Press, and Sheriff Bill Prummell publicly urged parents to stay alert and to “have the difficult conversations” with their children.
Charges and custody
The sheriff’s office says Reyes and Bush are both being held at the Charlotte County Jail without bond while detectives complete their investigative reports and the State Attorney’s Office reviews the cases for prosecution. Anyone with information related to either investigation is asked to contact the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office at 1-941-639-2101.
Local context
The twin arrests land in the middle of what has already been a busy and deeply unsettling spring for child sex-crime investigators in Charlotte County. In April, a Port Charlotte High School teacher was arrested after authorities say she admitted to having sex with a 17-year-old student on campus, as reported in coverage of a teacher busted after confessing sex with teen student. Law enforcement officials say they intend to pursue all credible leads as these and other cases move through the criminal-justice system.
Legal implications
Reyes’ charge falls under Florida’s unlawful sexual activity statute, while Bush faces counts under the state’s lewd and lascivious molestation laws. For more on the statutory language and potential penalties, see Fla. Stat. 794.05 and Fla. Stat. 800.04.
