Source: firstcoastnews.com 6/20/25
PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — The State of Florida announced Friday it is seeking the death penalty for a registered sex offender accused of more child sex crimes in Putnam County.
According to a May 16 post by the sheriff’s office, Welaka resident Dimeco _____, 34, was already a registered sex offender when he was accused in April of sex crimes with two children in Putnam County.
Putnam County detectives were notified on April 30 of Dimeco ‘s possible sex crimes against the two children. Detectives spoke with the children at their elementary school and were subsequently brought to the county’s child protection team for interviews.
One of the victims told investigators that Dimeco had sex with them over the span of three years, giving them “nightmares,” the sheriff’s office said. The mother of the victim reportedly told detectives she knew Dimeco was a registered sex offender, and didn’t let her children near him until she was “comfortable with it.” She told detectives she didn’t see any red flags with Henderson and her children, the sheriff’s office said.
The second victim told investigators they had been assaulted for the past year when Dimeco would stay at their house.
Following interviews with the victims, Dimeco was charged with lewd and lascivious battery on a victim age 12-15 and four counts of sexual assault on a child less than 12 years old. He was transported to the Putnam County Jail and held without bond.
On Friday, State Attorney R.J. Larizza announced the state would be seeking the death penalty against Dimeco, which is a first for their office.
They have nothing but contempt for the constitution and the rule of law. Despicable.
The registry did not protect these children. This man needs to be punished if he’s guilty, but the mother made a horrific parenting choice..
The courts will reject it due to being Unconstitutional.
This may seem a bit macabre, but may he be found guilty with the punishment levied as intended so it can wind its way through the court system to the Supreme Court and challenged appropriately with their prior ruling which deemed this punishment is not possible. Political grandstanding at best by the current Florida administration with hopes of continuing it by a spouse.
This story is unsettling on many levels. The person obviously has deep rooted physiological issues that were not identified correctly or addressed via the registry, which was exactly the original intent of the registry. The two households didn’t see problems? Either the children were adept at hiding the abuse ( not judging , since most children would be scared of reprisal) or the parents were negligent in spotting it. Finally the Registry completely failed in the only true task assigned to it. To protect vulnerable populations from people proven to have predatory behavior. All the other cr*p that comes with the registry is just ridiculous and not for this conversation. But for a state like Florida, which prides itself ( in a rather demented extreme) of being in complete control of its population with a prior sex offense conviction, this proves a complete failure of the registry to do as intended and has left the judicial system with egg on their face. Resulting in their decision to seek a final judgement in order to save any semblance of respectability. All in all , this entire thing disgusted me and leaves me wondering if there is ever going to be an actual addressing of the problem. Or just reactions after the fact.
” Didn’t let her children near him until she was comfortable with it.” The registry fails again and now more harsher laws will be pushed through.