close
close

Marion County sex offender arrested for overnight stays and sexual harassment

A Marion County man was arrested Wednesday and faces several charges for refusing to return a teenager to his parents after a slumber party, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Officials said they received reports that 58-year-old Carl Philip Lombardo refused to return a 15-year-old teenager to his parents after a slumber party at his Ocala home. Officials were told Lombardo had returned the teenager's siblings earlier in the day but refused to return the 15-year-old. The sheriff's office said the children would stay overnight at Lombardo's house, sometimes staying for several days at a time. The 15-year-old was eventually returned to his parents, but officials said several of the children reported being touched inappropriately by Lombardo. “In short, Mr. Lombardo is an absolute sex offender,” said Lt. Paul Bloom of the Marion County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's office says Lombardo took nude photos of some of the children and exposed himself to them. “He even offered the mother $5,000 at one point to buy the children,” Bloom said. The sheriff's office fears these aren't the only children they should be concerned about. “We feel like he has more than just the victims we found in this case,” Bloom said. That's in part because the sheriff's office learned from the children that they met Lombardo when he was their volunteer basketball coach. His neighbor said he had seen children coming and going over the past few months. “He had just started having little kids show up at his house and come over because he had, I guess, developed some kind of friendship with him at the baseball stadium across the street,” Richard Foster said. It was the friendship he found odd. “I had a weird gut feeling that something was going on,” Foster said. In Lombardo's phone, officers found photos depicting child sexual abuse of a young child, numerous pictures of him cuddling the children and pictures of their feet. Officers said he regularly kept the children at his home for several days and did inappropriate things to them. He also coerced the child victims through gifts, isolation and threats, officers said. Officers said Lombardo faces the following charges: human trafficking of children for commercial sexual activity, interference with custody, lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim under 12, lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim between the ages of 12 and 16, lewd and lascivious exposure, two counts each of production and possession of child pornography. According to the Marion County Sheriff's Office, Lombardo was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail. He is still out on bail.

MARION COUNTY, Fla. —

A Marion County man was arrested Wednesday and faces multiple charges for refusing to return a teenager to his parents after a sleepover, the Marion County Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies said they received reports that 58-year-old Carl Philip Lombardo was refusing to return a 15-year-old teenager to his parents after a sleepover at his Ocala home.

Officials were told Lombardo had returned the teen's siblings the same day but refused to return the 15-year-old. The sheriff's office said the children would sleep over at Lombardo's house, sometimes staying several days at a time.

The 15-year-old was eventually returned to his parents, but officials said several of the children reported being touched inappropriately by Lombardo.

“To put it briefly, Mr. Lombardo is an absolute predator,” said Lt. Paul Bloom of the Marion County Sheriff's Office.

The sheriff's office said Lombardo took nude photos of some of the children and exposed himself to them.

“He once even offered the mother $5,000 to buy the children,” Bloom said.

The sheriff's office fears these may not be the only children they have to worry about.

“We believe there is more to him than just the victims we found in this case,” Bloom said.

This is in part because the children told the sheriff's office that they met Lombardo when he was their volunteer basketball coach.

His neighbor said he had seen children coming and going over the past few months.

“More and more little kids just started coming to his house and coming over because he had, I guess, developed some kind of friendship with him at the baseball stadium across the street,” Richard Foster said.

It was the friendship that he found strange.

“I had a strange gut feeling that something was going on,” Foster said.

On Lombardo's phone, officers found photos depicting the sexual abuse of a small child, numerous pictures of him cuddling with the children, and pictures of their feet.

Deputies said he regularly kept the children at his home for several days at a time and did inappropriate things to them.

According to the MPs, he also put pressure on the child victims by giving them gifts, isolating them and making threats.

The MPs said Lombardo faces the following:

  • Trafficking of children for the purpose of commercial sexual activities
  • Interference with custody
  • Lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim under 12 years of age
  • Lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim between 12 and 16 years of age
  • Indecent and lascivious display
  • Two counts each of production and possession of child pornography

According to the Marion County Sheriff's Office, Lombardo was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail. No bail has been set for him.

You may also like...