Gainesville Man is charged with child molestation, despite claiming his innocence to detectives

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Alachua County Sheriff’s Office now has more information on an investigation of child molestation.

Tony “Travis” Slater, 44, was interviewed on Thursday, where he denied allegations of inappropriately touching a five-year-old.

The Gainesville Child Protection Team conducted a forensic interview and medical investigation on the victim in May. The child said to the team that Slater touched her inappropriately while she was asleep.

Since this initial investigation, the victim’s statements have remained consistent, and she has repeatedly explained the incident to authorities.

Slater claims that the five-year-old victim’s statements are untrue, and he was simply trying to adjust the child in her bed because she was asleep in an uncomfortable position. He also says his hands were outside the victim’s pull-up, instead of inside how she described.

Alachua County detectives say Slater says that the victim believes she is in a “secret relationship” with him and the victim has a “sexual drive”. Detectives say Slater’s claims are confirmed to be untrue, and the victim has never demonstrated this behavior.

Slater is being charged on one count of lewd or lascivious molestation.

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