HAINES CITY — A Polk County man is facing charges that he kidnapped a teenage girl, tied her up, and sexually battered her after agreeing to pay her $300 for sex.
On Saturday, Dec. 2 around 9 a.m., deputies from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested Travis Burton, 30, of Haines City, for kidnapping and sexual battery of a minor. Deputies say the alleged incident happened earlier that morning in the Davenport area. Burton now faces charges of sexual battery on a 16-year-old girl. Deputies say he also tied her up inside an unoccupied Davenport home.
In his report on this arrest, Brian Bruchey, the public information officer for the sheriff’s office, noted that “According to the affidavits, Burton punched the girl multiple times in the face shortly after she arrived at the residence where Burton was waiting. He then bound her with tape, cut off her underwear, and sexually battered the girl a total of four times throughout the early morning hours.”
The girl later told deputies that Burton put a knife to her throat, and attached a dog leash to her neck, Bruchey reported.
“Burton later put the girl in a truck, and he drove until getting stuck in an orange grove,” Bruchey wrote in his report. “He then sexually battered her again in the truck.”
Deputies eventually found the truck in that orange grove with the girl still inside, Bruchey noted. By that time, Burton had fled the scene on foot.
“When he was located, he told deputies that he had arranged for the girl to meet him, after contacting her on the Internet,” Bruchey wrote. “He said that he agreed to pay the girl $300 for sex. They reportedly had a disagreement over the money, so she refused to leave, and Burton said that it ‘got a little rough.’ ”
Burton is facing multiple charges, including sexual battery on a minor over 12, kidnapping, burglary, and aggravated child abuse — all felonies — and soliciting for prostitution, a misdemeanor.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office noted that Burton has a criminal history that includes charges for burglary, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, battery, vehicle theft, resisting, fleeing to elude, giving a false ID to law enforcement, marijuana and meth possessions, violating probation, battery on law enforcement, larceny, aggravated stalking, battery on a person 65 or older, grand theft, and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
Michael Freeman is an Orlando journalist, playwright and author of the terrifying book “Bloody Rabbit”. Contact him at Freelineorlando@gmail.com..
