Lee County man receives 3 life sentences for molesting child

Writer: Carolina Guzman
Published: Updated:
Danny Vargas Credit: The Lee County Sheriff’s Office

A man has been found guilty and sentenced to life in prison on one count of lewd or lascivious molestation and on each of two counts of familial or custodial sexual battery.

Danny Vargas was convicted in August following a jury trial in Lee County.

He was sentenced on Monday.

According to the state attorney’s office, the case started on March 2, 2020, when Lee County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Officers (SROs) helped find a student who had run away from home.

Once found, the student told officers about sexual abuse that happened at home. The Fort Myers Police Department was contacted, as the house was in their jurisdiction, and responded to the school to take over the investigation.

A student then reached out to law enforcement after learning from the victim why they ran away.

The victim had told the student that they ran away because Vargas said he wanted sexual favors from them after school.

The investigation found that Vargas engaged in sexual contact and sexual activity with the child between 2013 and 2019.

Officers found text messages showing that Vargas messaged the victim immediately before the victim ran away, requesting sexual videos and asking to keep the interactions a secret.

When law enforcement officers went to arrest Vargas, he was found in a home, hiding under a bed.

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