A 33-year-old man is facing charges after the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said two minors reported that he sexually abused them over a period of months. Amonzo David Shelton faces one count of sexual battery on a victim age 12 to 17 along with three counts of lewd or lascivious molestation involving a victim age 12 to 16.
According to CBS12, the two minors reported the allegations against Shelton to PBSO in December. Investigators say the alleged abuse stretched back months before that report surfaced, with one minor accusing Shelton of entering their bedroom during early-morning hours in July 2025, asking inappropriate questions, showing pornography, and touching them inappropriately, per the outlet. A second minor told investigators Shelton touched them inappropriately in March 2025 and offered money or a phone in exchange for sexual activity, CBS12 reported.
A post by Palm Beach And Broward Mugshots LLC listed Shelton's jail location as the Main Detention Center. The Main Detention Center is in West Palm Beach.
A Prior Case That Never Led to Charges
The probable cause affidavit in Shelton's case also references a 2023 Riviera Beach Police Department investigation into another sexual battery accusation against him, according to CBS12's reporting on the case file. That earlier case was closed with insufficient evidence and never resulted in charges.
What Shelton Is Facing Under Florida Law
The sexual battery count against Shelton falls under Florida Statute § 794.011, which classifies sexual battery by an adult against a minor age 12 to 17 as a first-degree felony carrying up to 30 years in state prison, per the Kinsell Law Firm. Each of his three lewd or lascivious molestation counts falls under Florida Statute § 800.04(5), which the Florida Senate designates as a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Florida's sex offense statutes apply strict liability regarding a victim's age, and the law defines consent as an intelligent, knowing, and voluntary agreement, explicitly stating that a victim's failure to physically resist does not constitute consent, according to a legal explainer from Pumphrey Law. If convicted under either § 794.011 or § 800.04, Shelton would be required to register as a sexual offender under Florida Statute § 943.0435, and the registry is public record, per Meltzer & Bell, P.A.
Local Enforcement Context
Hoodline previously reported on a recent case in Boynton Beach involving alleged abuse.
Palm Beach County Victim Services provides 24/7 crisis intervention and is funded by county commissioners and grants. Statewide, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement documented 7,650 forcible sex offenses and 4,182 related arrests in a single reporting year, according to the same Florida Department of Health report.
It remains unclear whether the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office will formally file charges matching Shelton's initial booking counts, and no bond hearing or future court date has yet been reported.
