Man accused of sexually abusing Clearwater girl, 12, at Disney resort

TAMPA — A Deltona man has been arrested on accusations that he sexually abused a 12-year-old Clearwater girl while her family was visiting Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground over Memorial Day weekend.

Jean C. Garcia, 29, went by the name "Junior" when he first met the young girl at the pool on May 24 at the resort, 4510 Fort Wilderness Trail, according to a statement the victim gave deputies. He is not an employee there, a Disney spokeswoman said.

The girl said she waved to Garcia at the pool and started to speak to him.

Before long, he was holding her with his hands on her hips. Then, the pair went behind some bushes to kiss out of sight of others, according to a statement filed by the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

Throughout the day, the girl said she and Garcia continued to kiss.

When she attended a s'mores roast that evening, Garcia showed up at the camp site and sat next to her — until she warned that her mother was on the way.

Then, she said, he left.

The next day, as the girl's foster family packed their belongings, the 12-year-old met the man at a laundry room, where she told deputies he removed her pants and underwear.

She told deputies they had oral sex and, though she said "no," Garcia attempted to penetrate her, but was unsuccessful.

About two weeks later, the girl, now 13, told her foster family that she was worried she was pregnant. The foster mother, who was preparing to adopt the victim, informed the girl's caseworker. Two pregnancy tests on the girl came back negative, according to the sheriff's report.

The family contacted the Clearwater Police Department, which notified the Orange County Sheriff's Office on June 10.

On Aug. 21, a crime analyst in the Sheriff's Office called Garcia, posing as the 13-year-old girl.

Garcia had given the girl a card with his phone number on it, the arrest report said. And though the girl had not seen Garcia since leaving the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground on May 25, she told deputies she had called him from a pay phone near her house.

According to the arrest report, the undercover caller told Garcia she would be returning to Fort Wilderness and asked if they wanted to meet again.

"He got excited and said he did," the report states. "He told her she was a cutie and he wanted to meet up again. … Junior said she had better not be setting him up with her family because he didn't want to get into trouble."

On Thursday, the same crime analyst called Garcia again to set up a meeting at Fort Wilderness. A surveillance squad followed Garcia as he drove from his home, 169 Fort Smith Blvd., No. 18, onto Disney World property just after 11 p.m.

Before he reached the campground, deputies stopped him, read him his rights and began to question him.

Garcia first said he was there to meet one of his "homeboys," according to the report.

But the report states that Garcia soon admitted he was there to meet a girl he believed to be 16. He said when he first met her, she told him she was 18 or 19.

Garcia said he only intended to talk to her. But the undercover conversation had recorded him saying he would bring a condom, according to the report. Garcia, the report says, "bowed his head and said that he understood."

Deputies say Garcia finally admitted to trying to meet the girl to have sex. He is charged with lewd or lascivious battery and sexual battery.

He is being held without bail at the Orange County Jail. State records show he has been arrested once before, in 2005, on charges of burglary and aggravated battery out of Volusia County.

Deputies did not release the name of the juvenile victim, as the names of victims of sexual offenses are kept confidential.

Rebecca Catalanello can be reached at rcatalanello@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3383.