Man found guilty of sexually abusing a child in his care

A man who sexually abused a child in his care has been found guilty of two counts of “sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12 by a person in family care.”

Investigations revealed that Joshua Velez, 43, regularly sexually abused the child while the couple lived in Kentucky, Georgia and Spring Hill, Florida. He was granted guardianship of the child in 2017.

Tragically, the child stated that Velez initially treated her better than her parents, feeding her well and caring for her. The abuse began about a year and a half after Velez gained custody, when the child was about ten years old.

In January 2020, the child finally spoke about his situation with another adult with whom he had lived for a short time after moving to Spring Hill.

She filed for guardianship and Velez moved back to Kentucky.

In June 2020, an investigation was launched in Kentucky and expanded to Spring Hill, Florida.
The child did not initially admit that sexual abuse occurred at Spring Hill, but said he believed his younger brother and another person were abused by Velez.

Through the counseling services of the Child Advocacy Center, the child was eventually able to admit that she was sexually abused by Velez while they lived in Spring Hill.

The child's younger brother told an HCSO investigator that Velez also sexually abused him and threatened to harm his family or take his brother away from him forever if he objected.

Velez will be sentenced on October 24, 2024. A related case against Velez involving two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim between the ages of 12 and 16 is pending.