Bratt man jailed for sex battery

A Bratt man was arrested Feb. 17 and faces sexual battery charges following an investigation into allegations he inappropriately touched a child and officers said the incident was captured on a cell phone.

David Lee Roley, 69, 5820 N. Highway 99, was arrested and charged with three counts of felony molestation on a victim younger than 12 after the victim told a guidance counselor at her school that the man she rides horses with, identified as Roley, touched her inappropriately, according to an Escambia County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office report. The exact age of the victim was not released.

The alleged incident occurred between Dec. 29, 2020 and Jan. 1, 2021 when the victim was riding horses on Roley's farm. The report said Crystal Bossard stated her husband, Jonathan Bossard, was in the restroom at the farm when he heard Roley and the victim pull up on Roley's Kawasaki mule and Bossard looked out the window and observed Roley's hand on the outside of the victim's clothes between her legs.

Crystal stated to investigators her husband capture the incident on his cell phone and went outside and got the victim off Roley's UTV, when Bossard told Roley he was never allowed back on their property.

Investigators observed one of the photographs and saw the victim sitting next to a white male identified as Roley, with her back against his right side and Roley had his arm around the victim with his hand between her legs on the crotch over her clothes, the report stated.

In a subsequent interview, the victim stated to investigators Roley was touching her 'down here' on her 'private parts', pointing below her waist towards her vagina and 'up here' while pointing to her chest. She said Roley would tell her she is pretty then put his hands on her private parts and rub them over her clothes. She stated it would make her feel uncomfortable and she would move his hands off her private parts a lot, according to the report.

Suspect Roley was interviewed and stated her never touched the victim sexually. When investigators showed Roley the photo taken by Bossard, Roley said it was him in the photo but stated he was touching her waist. Roley said, "That's the only time I came close down there," the report said.

Roley stated one time the victim kissed him on the lips and he kissed her back on the lips. He said he was telling investigators everything he could remember and he couldn't remember a whole bunch, the report said.

When asked if if it is possible he touched the victim in a sexual manner he said he doesn't remember.

"It's possible, it may have happened more than once, I don't remember," said Roley.

The report said the victim mentioned another time when she and Roley were riding in a wagon and he touched her on her chest and between her legs. She mentioned another time when the two were riding in a go cart and Roley rubbed her vagina all the way to her house. She told investigators when she tried to get up and leave, he told her to come back, when he told her to sit on his lap and started rubbing her again. She said Roley only stopped because she told him she had to go inside, the report said.

The victim stated Roley would touch her when they were alone and he told her not to tell anyone because it was their little secret.

Roley was arrested Feb. 17 and transported to the Escambia County Jail in Pensacola and given no bond.

According to the ESCO's social media page, it's believed there could possibly be additional victims of Roley that have yet to be identified to the ECSO.

Anyone who is a victim or have any information, call the ECSO at 850-436-9620.