A 48-year-old man has been charged with sexually abusing three young girls and detectives are concerned there may be more victims.
Driving through the Sarasota neighborhood east of I-75 and Fruitville Road, it’s clear families and kids call it home. Neighbors living along Deer Crossing Court says the streets fill up with kids playing late in the afternoon.
A neighbor’s police car adds a feeling of safety. But deputies say next door lives Mark Wyman, a software engineer who has been charged with sexually battering a 6-year-old girl and with molesting two 12-year-old girls.
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“To imagine doing that to another girl when you have a daughter of your own is extremely sick to me,” says Shawn Harper who lives four houses from Wyman.
Harper says Wyman and his family moved in two years ago and blended right in.
“He seemed like a really nice guy, down-to-earth. Really wouldn’t of guessed,” he says.
According to the arrest report, one of the 12-year-old girls was alarmed with her 6-year-old sister’s behavior. The younger sibling said it’s what Mark does. The 12-year-old reported it to her mother who later called DCF. The 12-year-old told detectives every time she visited Wyman he would touch her inappropriately.
“The victims are all innocent children. None are deserving of anything like this happening to him,” says Lt. Joe Giasone, a detective with the Sarasota Sheriff’s Office.
The alleged abuse of the younger victim included touching and penetration too graphic to describe.
“These things happened while under his supervision,” says Giasone.
One of the victims told Child Protective Services Wyman first inappropriately touched her when she was 7 or 8 years old. She is now 12 years old. Because five years have passed, detectives worry there may be more victims.
“We have information there are possibly other girls visiting the house don’t know their names at this point,” Giasone says.
“It’s just shocking to find someone who preys on those children to be living right here,” says Harper.
Anyone with additional information should contact Criminal Investigations at 861-4900.
