A Sarasota County jury convicted 2026 trial defendant Larry Wayne Riddle on three child sexual offense charges stemming from abuse that happened while he was staying with a family at their Sarasota vacation home during Spring Break. Judge Andrea DeCanio sentenced Riddle Thursday to 65.65 years in prison, the maximum allowed under Florida law, and designated him a sexual predator.
State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced that the Sarasota jury convicted Riddle of attempted sexual battery by a person over 18 on a child under 12, solicitation on a child under 16, and lascivious exhibition on a child under 16, according to ABC7 WWSB. The three-day trial ran from October 12 through 14 at the Sarasota County Courthouse, and the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims Unit led the investigation into Riddle’s case. The outlet reported that prosecutors said Riddle exploited the family’s trust while staying at the Sarasota property, a detail also noted in an WENG Radio report describing him as a family friend who was living with the victim’s family at the time.
How the Abuse Unfolded, According to Prosecutors
Prosecutors said Riddle repeatedly asked the child to perform sexual acts, and on one occasion exposed himself to her after standing between her and the television and unzipping his pants. The child refused his requests each time, prosecutors said, and Riddle told her to keep the incidents secret. She eventually disclosed the abuse to her grandmother and mother, setting in motion a cross-county investigation.
The child’s family lives in Palm Beach County and first reported the abuse to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office before the case moved to the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, which took lead jurisdiction. The child was later interviewed at the Child Protection Center, which serves as the designated home base for the Child Protection Team covering Sarasota and DeSoto counties and is accredited by the National Children’s Alliance, according to the Child Protection Center. The center’s team reviews more than 3,200 reports of local child abuse and neglect in a typical year and operates around the clock to provide forensic and medical intervention.
A History Dating Back Decades in Broward County
Riddle was arrested on March 31 and taken to the Sarasota County Jail the same day. He had three prior convictions for sexual offenses against children in Broward County dating to the 1980s and 1990s, and a prior victim testified during the case that Riddle committed an indecent assault on her as a child.
Assistant State Attorney Lissa MacDonald said the child’s courage, her family’s support, and the work of law enforcement and partner agencies led to Riddle being held accountable. MacDonald credited the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Child Protection Center, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Forensic Investigations Unit, the Davie Police Department, and the Jacksonville County Sheriff’s Office for their roles in the case. The 12th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office serves Sarasota, Manatee, and DeSoto counties under Brodsky’s leadership, according to the 12th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office.
Victims Speak at Sentencing
During sentencing, the child and her family spoke about the lasting harm Riddle caused, and one of his prior victims also addressed the court. The child described to the court how Riddle impacted her life, closing out a case that spanned both a recent Spring Break visit and decades-old history from Broward County.
Under Florida Statutes 794.011 and 777.04, an attempt to commit sexual battery by an adult on a child under 12 is classified as a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years, according to Pumphrey Law. Florida law lowers offense classifications by one degree for attempted crimes compared to completed offenses. Riddle had prior convictions from the 1980s and 1990s, and the court imposed a 65.65-year sentence alongside the sexual predator designation.
What the Sexual Predator Label Means Going Forward
Under Florida Statute 775.21, known as the Florida Sexual Predators Act, offenders designated by a court as sexual predators face registration with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement along with community and public notification requirements, as set out in Florida Statutes on the Online Sunshine site.
Riddle’s case follows a string of child sexual abuse prosecutions Hoodline has tracked across Sarasota County this year. In an earlier report, a Port Charlotte man faced capital sexual battery charges under a 2023 Florida statute allowing the death penalty in non-fatal child sexual assault cases. Weeks later, federal and local authorities secured a 25-year federal sentence against an Oregon man who groomed a 12-year-old Sarasota girl over social media, a case that similarly relied on coordination between the Sarasota Police Department and federal investigators.
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