ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (WSVN) — Two Florida men have been arrested after they were accused of plotting to rape a 3-year-old girl.
Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested 37-year-old Lafe Best. According to Investigators, Best was arrested in connection to another case involving his friend, 39-year-old Benjamin Worster, who was accused of child molestation and possession of child porn.
Deputies said they found text messages between the two describing the plot.
Investigators said the 3-year-old victim and her mother moved into Worster’s apartment in December, and soon after, the girl told her mother that Worster had touched her.
At one point, the child’s mother found Worster’s phone after he was rushed to the hospital for an apparent overdose. Deputies said that’s when she discovered the texts he had sent to Best, where the two described how they wanted to rape the child, not caring if she was conscious or not.
“Single mom&Has a 3 year old daughter&Shes not a very good mom and she ignored her daughter constantly&2nd day of meeting her daughter she ran up to give me a hug and buried her head right in my crotch&So im gonna get to work on that,” Investigators said Worster wrote in one message.
“You never know if her junkie mom can’t come up with rent one month she might ust give her to you lol wishful thinking,” deputies said Best wrote in another message.
Detectives said they found what appeared to be child pornography at Best’s home, along with his texts to Worster. Investigators said two people with a 20-month-old child were living with Worster at the time of his arrest. However, they do not believe the child was a victim of any abuse at this time.
He has since been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit sexual battery on a child.
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