A 22-year-old Sebastian man, Jonathan Orton, was arrested last Friday and charged with multiple counts of lewd or lascivious battery involving a minor following a disturbing revelation uncovered by the victim’s stepfather.
The case, which unfolded in Melbourne, unveiled details of the illicit relationship through a combination of text messages, home surveillance footage, and the victim’s statements to police.
The Melbourne Police Department (MPD) was first alerted to the situation on February 13, 2025, when the victim’s stepfather contacted authorities. His call came after he discovered incriminating text messages on his stepdaughter’s cellphone—a device he pays for and manages—indicating an ongoing sexual relationship between the girl, a minor, and Orton.
Adding to his suspicions, the stepfather reviewed footage from his home security system, which captured Orton exiting the residence at 1:13 a.m. on December 14, 2024.
Court documents reveal that the stepfather stumbled across a text messages between his stepdaughter and Orton. Alarmed, he traced the phone number from the suspicious texts to Jonathan Lee Orton of Sebastian. A quick online search turned up a mugshot of Orton, which he showed his stepdaughter. She confirmed it was the man she had been seeing.
In a bold move, the stepfather used the victim’s phone to send Orton a warning text, demanding he stay away from the girl. However, the victim later admitted to her stepfather that Orton had snuck into their home again that night, February 12, 2025.
A week later, on February 20, MPD investigators arrived at the family’s home to interview both the victim and her stepfather. In sworn statements recorded on audio and video, the girl confessed to an ongoing sexual relationship with Orton, whom she had met through Snapchat. She explained that Orton had added her as a friend on the social media platform and initiated contact despite her telling him she was a minor.
According to an affidavit from the investigation, Orton brushed off her age during a text message, saying he “didn’t mind” and assuring her that “no one would find out”—even after they discussed the possibility of him facing jail time.
The victim admitted that she had snuck Orton into her home on multiple occasions. A digital forensics examination of her cellphone, requested by the family, further corroborated her account, revealing a trail of communications between her and Orton.
Based on the evidence, police charged Orton with 12 counts of lewd or lascivious battery on a victim aged 12 to 16, a violation of Florida Statute 800.04(4)(a). Following his arrest in Sebastian, Orton was booked into the Brevard County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond.
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