JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WTXL) - The Jackson County Sheriff's Office has arrested a 71-year-old man accused of sexually assaulting a disabled victim.
On Tuesday, the sheriff's office was informed about a sexual battery that happened earlier that morning at a home in the 5500 block of Willis Road.
During an investigation, they discovered that Nathaniel Watson sexually assaulted a 38-year-old victim who is diagnosed with cerebral palsy and is unable to communicate.
Deputies say that when Watson was confronted by family members, he tried to withdraw a large amount of money from one of the family's bank accounts. However, he was not successful and ran away.
On Wednesday, Watson reached out to a family member and told them that he was in Live Oak and needed information about a nearby relative.
After that call, JCSO issued an alert for Watson in the Live Oak area.
A little later, a sergeant with the Live Oak Police Department reached out to one of Watson's family members and told them that he was with Watson at a local store.
The sergeant said that he was told by a store clerk that Watson was lost or had dementia but the family member denied that Watson had any illnesses.
An investigator then told the sergeant to detain Watson, leading to his arrest.
Deputies say additional evidence leads them to suspect that Watson had previously assaulted the victim multiple times.
JCSO says the investigation is ongoing and additional charges may be pending.
