GOLDEN GATE, Fla. — New police documents are revealing what led to the arrest of a man in Golden Gate, charged with lewd and lascivious behavior.
According to the report, a young girl reported to a school deputy that she was walking to her old bus stop and was approached by a man on Sept. 25. She said he referred to himself as "Coach C."
He was later identified as Cleannord Saintil.
The name the suspect used, "Coach C," comes from his football background. According to Naples High School's 2001 football roster, he played for the team and helped win a state title. According to Middle Tennessee State University athletics, he played as a wide receiver there and went on to play arena football professionally.
She said Saintil was talking to her about sports, but then asked if she wanted to make some money.
The child told him no, the report said. According to the report, Saintil told her to crawl through the window of a vacant unit in the Mer Soleil Apartments. She told the deputy out of fear, she did.
The report said Saintil asked her for sex and she said no. The child said she was able to leave, but Saintil gave her his number.
Fox 4 spoke to a local advocacy group, and the CEO says approaches like this aren't typical.
"Stranger danger things are pretty uncommon, but when they do happen it's really concerning," said Jackie Stephens, CEO of Collier Children's Advocacy Center.
Stephens leads a group that assists minors who are victims of sexual abuse. She said sexual encounters with children happen more often with people they know, but the most important thing for adults to do is listen and believe children.
"If abuse does occur to listen to a child, believe that child and report that suspected situation of abuse," Stephens said.
The arrest has neighbors like Josh Koskey more watchful of what's happening around them.
"Makes you wonder who you got around you," Koskey said. "Makes you want to be more watchful of what's going on."
Koskey said children should be able to be children without worrying about such dangers.
"They're kids, they're not supposed to worry about that, they're supposed to be having fun and being kids," Koskey said.
A deputy said they had a similar case involving a student approached by Saintil, offering help with athletics and money.
After pulling a photo from that case, another deputy said he recognized Saintil from prior interactions with him.
Detectives went to the vacant unit at the apartment complex where the report said they found an open condom in the bedroom closet and a wrapper from it in another bedroom.
The sheriff's office said a photo lineup was shown to the victim in the case, who identified them as Saintil.
The same day as the report by the child, the sheriff's office said the Real Time Operation Center tracked a male matching the description of Saintil.
Deputies said they tracked him on his bike near the Mer Soleil Apartments.
On Sept. 30, the sheriff's office said they tracked him onto 16th Place Southwest and deputies stopped him.
"Cleannord Saintil, identified by his Florida ID card, declined the opportunity to provide a statement to detectives stating he had the wrong guy and wished to speak to his attorney," the report said.
Saintil is charged with lewd or lascivious behavior and kidnapping/false imprisonment of a child under 13-years-old.
