87-year-old Port Charlotte man accused of having sexual interactions with a minor

Writer: Matthew Seaver
Published:
Joseph Charles Sorrentino, 86. (Credit: Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office)

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a man they say had sexual interactions with a child.

Deputies responded to a home in Port Charlotte on Thursday after getting reports that Joseph Charles Sorrentino, 87, had been having sexual interactions with a child. Deputies say the child told her mother about the interactions.

The sheriff’s office says the child claims the man touched her and took nude photographs of her with his phone. The child’s mom told deputies she remembers Sorrentino asking her for photos of herself as well.

Deputies say the child, during an interview, said Sorrentino would coerce her into touching him and allowing him to touch her. The child provided explicit details of the alleged events and indicated that the most recent occurrence had happened sometime since Christmas.

She stated that Sorrentino would even provide her with chocolate candy treats for doing what he asked. She did say that there was no penetration.

Sorrentino denied the accusations when deputies questioned him but could not provide reasonable responses to some of the specific questions asked by investigators. Deputies say some of the answers he provided corroborated details from the child.

Sorrentino was subsequently arrested and is facing charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a person under the age of 12. He is currently being held at the Charlotte County Jail.

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