Florida church puppeteer arrested on child sex charges

2011-05-07 05:39:46 GMT+7 (ICT)

OVIEDO, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) -- A Florida man who performed puppet shows at a local church was arrested on child molestation charges, local authorities said Friday.

Michael Henderson, 29, of Oviedo, Florida, allegedly began communicating with a 14-year-old girl through social networking website Facebook, before meeting with her at a local church and later at her home, Oviedo Police Department Lt. Mike Beavers told WESH.

According to reports, police accessed to 44 pages of online communication between Henderson and the girl. Much of the communication, Beavers said, was sexually explicit.

During one of their meetings at at Trinity Assembly Church in Chuluota, where Henderson volunteered as a leader of a puppet show, he took a photograph under the girl's skirt at least once and without the girl's knowledge, and when he acknowledged the fact during the court hearing, he said it came out blurry.

Henderson appeared at a court hearing on Friday in which Judge Kenneth Barlow explained he had also inappropriately touched her and 'fondled' with the girl's breasts under her clothing when they met at her house.

After learning about the situation, the girl's grandmother contacted the police, which resulted in Henderson's arrest.

Henderson is now facing charges of lewd and lascivious battery on a victim between 12 and 16 years old, as well as video voyeurism and using a computer to solicit a minor. He is currently held under custody on a bond of over $25,000.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-07

Letting a puppeteer into a church would appear as ill advised as towing a giant wooden horse inside the city walls. I suppose the perp was at least resourceful in committing his crimes.