SWEETWATER, Fla. (WSVN) – A South Florida man is being charged with simple battery for touching a teenager on her backside at Dolphin Mall, Tuesday.
7News cameras captured Sweetwater Police officers taking 31-year-old Kevin Sean McDonald out of a squad car and escorting him into jail, Tuesday afternoon. He is accused of groping a 14-year-old girl at Dolphin Mall.
Officials said McDonald has a history of targeting teens. “Apparently, he had just been released from jail in Broward County for doing the same thing,” said City of Sweetwater spokesperson Sandy Antonio.
7’s Skyforce HD hovered above the scene as police stopped McDonald at the shopping center.
According to officials, the 14-year-old was inside the mall, at around 4 p.m., when McDonald grabbed her behind and tried to get away.
But the suspect would not get far. The girl screamed, and security guards sprang into action, following him into a nearby store.
“The security chased him down, caught up with him at Bass Pro Outlet, detained him,” said Antonio.
Sweetwater residents said they are disturbed by what happened in broad daylight. “I mean, it is ridiculous that we have people touching other people around,” said resident Ricardo Juncadella.
“I don’t like it, at all,” said another resident.
7News cameras showed police interviewing the teen and witnesses at the scene.
This isn’t McDonald’s first run-in with the law. 7News has recovered his mug shot from when he was arrested back in 2014.
In that case, Davie Police said he showed up to meet a 14-year-old girl he found on Facebook. They said he had been sending her inappropriate pictures.
At the time, McDonald was charged with child pornography, use of a computer to exploit a minor and traveling to meet a minor. However, he was never convicted because a Broward County judge ruled he was mentally incompetent.
“If he has a history, and he’s hurting young people, then definitely, he should stay in jail,” said Juncadella.
McDonald is expected to face a Miami-Dade judge soon.
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