Molino Sex Offender Charged With Capital Sexual Battery Of Underage Teen Girl
March 13, 2024
A registered sex offender from Molino has been charged with the “prolonged” sexual assault of an underaged teenage girl.
David Gordon Oster, age 35 of Brickton Road, Molino, was charged with capital felony sexual assault by a person 18 or older on a victim under age 12, two first degree felony counts of sexual assault by custodian on a victim age 12-18, and third degree felony providing obscene material of a minor.
Oster allegedly had sexual relations with the teen multiple times, sometimes paying her amounts ranging from $30 to $100 conditional on sexual performance, according to an arrest report.
Investigators said Oster showed photos of naked men and women to the underage girl and sent explicit videos of himself to her.
Oster was described by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office as living in a camper trailer on the property of a mutual family friend, where the family of the victim trusted him to be around the victim.
The family friend was told by Oster that he had over $1 million tied up in Pennsylvania and promised that he would pay off family debts, which the friend believed, the report states.
Oster is a Florida registered sexual offender adjudicated in 2014 in Erie, Pennsylvania, of indecent assault of a victim less than 13-years of age, endangering the welfare of a child and corruption of minors, according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
If convicted of capital felony sexual assault on a victim under 12, Oster faces up to life in prison or the death penalty. He remained in the Escambia County jail Wednesday morning without bond.
Northview High Names Students Of The Month
March 13, 2024
Northviwe High School has named their Students of the Month for March. They are Jackson Parker and Chloe Criswell, pictured with Principal Michael Sherrill. Photo for NorthEscambia.com click to enlarge.
As ‘Acting Superintendent’ Century Council Member Reports Four Sewage Spills To State
March 13, 2024
The Town of Century has reported four separate sewage spills that occurred over the past week.
The spills were reported to the Florida Department of Environmental (DEP) by council woman Alicia Johnson as “acting superintendent” of the town’s wastewater facilities.
According to the DEP, the town reported:
- On March 8, a sewage lift station at the town’s wastewater treatment facility of Jefferson Avenue spilled an unknown quantity of treated wastewater, of which 50 gallons was recovered. The pump “failed due to incorrect maintenance”.
- On March 9, an unknown volume of sewage was spilled at the town’s wastewater treatment plant on Jefferson Avenue because a “bypass pump was unable to keep up with heavy flow due to collapsed influent piping. None of the spill was recovered, but the area was washed down.
- On March 11, the wastewater treatment plant lift station that failed on March 8 overflowed “several times during the repair process”. (The town actually reported the spill began March 11 and ended March 9 but named the incident “Effluent spill 3-11-2″)
- On March 10, an unknown volume of untreated wastewater was spilled at the Century Correctional Institution on Tedder Road due to pumps that failed because they were clogged with debris. None of the spillage was recovered, and lime was applied.
Pictured: The Century Wastewater Treatment Plant. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Lady Aggies Beat Pine Forest 11-1 (With Gallery)
March 13, 2024
The Tate Lady Aggies beat the Pine Forest Eagles 11-1 Tuesday night at Tate.
Peyton Womack earned the win for the Aggies, going a complete game six innings. She surrendered one hit and one run, striking out nine and walking four.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Ellie Rudd took the loss for Pine Forest, giving up four runs and one hit in four innings while striking out one and walking six.
Lacy Wilson led the Aggies at the plate, going 2-4. Womack, Kara Wine, Amburleigh Laird, Olivea Latner, Kate Balagbagan and Aubree Jordan each added a hit.
Rudd led the Eagles at bat, going 1-3.
West Florida will beat Milton on Wednesday, and the Lady Aggies will travel to Niceville on Thursday.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Tate Aggies Fall 5-4 To West Florida (With Photo Gallery)
March 13, 2024
The Tate Aggies fell to the West Florida Jaguars 5-4 Tuesday night at Tate.
Cramer earned the win for the Jags, giving up three hits and a run in four and one-third innings while striking out three and walking none.
For a photo gallery, click or tap here.
Neal Croom started on the mound for the Aggies. He went four and two-thirds innings, giving up four hits and one run, striking out four and walking five. Nate Conners took the loss for the Aggies. In one and one-third innings, he gave up two runs on two hits, struck out one and walked two.
Bray Touchstone put the Aggies on the board in the first inning with a homerun to center field, scoring two runs. Maddox Land had a solo home run to right field in the bottom of the night.
Ketch King went 2-4 for Tate, and Clif Quiggins went 3-5.
Adam Geiger led the Jags at the plate, going 3-5.
The Tate Aggies travel to Crestview on Wednesday, and West Florida will host Choctaw on Thursday.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Operation Kessel Run: 12 Accused Of Trying To Lure Minors For Sex In Escambia County
March 12, 2024
After a multi-agency investigation, 12 suspects were arrested and charged with seducing a minor to engage in sexual conduct, traveling to meet a minor for sexual activity and use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, law enforcement announced Tuesday,.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), State Attorney Ginger Bowden Madden, the Escambia and Santa Rosa county sheriff’s offices, Pensacola and Fort Walton Beach police departments, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI), Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) and U.S. Marshals Service participated in the operation.
During the multiday operation, suspects communicated with undercover investigators posing as juveniles. Each suspect was told they were communicating with a teenager, but chose to engage in sexually explicit conversations anyway, asking for lewd photos and discussing how they planned to be sexually active with the “child.” Following the conversations, the suspects drove to meet the investigators, thinking they were meeting 13 and 14-year old children to engage in sexual activity.
Those arrested were:
- Darryl Lamont Hart, 57, Pensacola, arrested arrested Feb. 23
- Clayton Patrick Costello, 37, Hoover, Alabama, arrested Feb. 24
- Randy Edgar Powell, 52, Pensacola, arrested Feb. 24
- Telvan Latrell Williams, 28, Mobile, Alabama, arrested Feb. 24
- Kriss Lashawn Gilmore, 31, Foley, Alabama, arrested Feb. 24
- Alex Michael Durlock, 24, Fort Walton Beach, arrested Feb. 25
- Jordan Christopher Belton, 28, Pensacola, arrested Feb. 25
- Raphael Rochelle Brooks, 39, Robertsdale, Alabama, arrested Feb. 25
- William John Nordstrom, 64, Pensacola, arrested Feb. 25
- Eric Wintin Long, 33, Montgomery, Alabama, arrested Feb. 26
- Patrick Jay Dehnel, 33, Slidell, Louisiana, arrested Feb. 28
- Jamaine Antonia Johnson, 32, Pensacola, arrested March 4
All were booked into the Escambia County Jail.
“These suspects asked for lewd photos and communicated in graphic sexual terms. Luckily our FDLE agents and analysts, along with our partners, found them before they found our children. And while this operation is finished, we are not. The work of these investigators continues because we know there are more predators out there just waiting for the opportunity to hurt a child,” FDLE Pensacola Special Agent in Charge Chris Williams said.
“The “Kessel Run” joint operation is an example of law enforcement partnerships, enabling the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) to leverage combined expertise and effort, to target online sexual predators who attempt to prey on our communities. NCIS thanks the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, federal and state agencies, and local partners for the continued collaboration on impactful joint internet operations to protect the communities where our warfighters and their families reside,” said NCIS Supervisory Special Agent Myles Roy.
“Working together, the FBI and our local law enforcement partners have prevented these predators from victimizing the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community,” said FBI Jacksonville’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Mark Dargis. “Let these arrests be a warning to others – law enforcement will not tolerate the exploitation of children, and we will be relentless in our efforts to identify and locate predators who seek to abuse them.”
“These predators preyed on the innocence of children by knowingly engaging in lewd and lascivious online conduct, only to take it a step further and agreeing to meet in person and turn those conversations into action,” said Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “Operation Kessel Run was a successful joint investigation, but there is still more work that must be done. HSI, alongside our law enforcement partners, will never rest in identifying, investigating, and prosecuting predators who seek to use children for their perverse behaviors and make them lifelong victims.”
Republican Early Voting Turnout Apporaching 10% In Escambia County
March 12, 2024
Early voter turnout for the Republican Presidential Preference Primary in Escambia County was approaching 10% as polling places closed Monday ay evening.
There are 94,864 eligible Republican voters in Escambia County, and as of Tuesday turnout was 9.65%, or 9,150.
The busiest early voting location since last Saturday has been the Escambia County Extension Office in Cantonment with 536 early voters. The quietest has been the Billy G. Ward Courthouse in Century with just 19 early voters over two voting days.
Early voting will continue through Saturday, March 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the following 10 locations:
- Molino Community Center, 6450 Highway 95A North, Molino
- Billy G. Ward Courthouse, 7500 N. Century Blvd, Pensacola
- Escambia County Extension Services, 3740 Stefani Road, Cantonment
- UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts, Building 82, 11000 University Parkway, Room 235, Pensacola
- Supervisor of Elections Office, 213 Palafox Place, Second Floor, Pensacola
- Main Library, 239 N. Spring Street, Pensacola
- Pensacola State College Building 17, 1000 College Pkwy, Pensacola
- Southwest Library, 12248 Gulf Beach Highway
- Brownsville Community Center, 3200 W. DeSoto Street, Pensacola
- Bellview Library, 6425 Mobile Highway, Pensacola
The Presidential Preference Primary is only available to voters registered in the Republican party. Florida is a closed primary state, which means voters can only vote in the party in which they are registered for primary elections.
Take Stock in Children Accepting Applications From 6the And 7th Graders
March 12, 2024
Escambia County middle schools will be accepting applications for Take Stock in Children from eligible sixth and seventh grade students until April 24.
Take Stock in Children is a statewide program operating locally under the Escambia County Public Schools Foundation, providing “college scholarships, mentors and hope” to deserving low-income students.
Applications are available from each middle school’s guidance office or can be printed from the Escambia School District Website at https://www.escambiaschools.org/ .
Students are selected in middle school through an application process based on financial need. Students must be U.S. citizens, meet income eligibility requirements, have grades of all C or better, and maintain good school attendance and behavior.
If selected, students and a parent sign an agreement that the student will remain drug-and crime-free, maintain good grades and behavior, and graduate high school. Graduates of the Take Stock in Children program earn a Florida Prepaid College Foundation Project STARS scholarship to help alleviate the cost of college.
The program benefits students by providing support services through a volunteer mentor who meets with the student weekly at the school, a college success coach who monitors student progress, and college readiness workshops.
Currently there are 147 Take Stock in Children students in grades 7-12, 70 in college, and there have been 153 college graduates to date. Statewide 97% of Take Stock students complete high school, 92% enroll in college, and 70% receive a college degree.
For more information about the application process, becoming a mentor, or donating toward scholarships, contact Sally Lee, Take Stock in Children Student Services Coordinator, 850-469-5458, slee@ecsdfl.us.
Local Unemployment Rate Increases
March 12, 2024
FloridaCommerce announced Monday that the Pensacola metro area private sector employment increased by 3.3% (+5,500 new jobs). The Pensacola area’s unemployment rate was 3.4% in January 2024, a 0.5 percentage point increase from the January 2023 rate of 2.9%.
FloridaCommerce announced that the Pensacola area labor force increased by 8,022, a 3.4% increase over the year in January 2024. The industries gaining the most jobs over the year were leisure and hospitality increasing, by 1,500 jobs; and education and health services, increasing by 1,300 jobs.
Florida’s private sector job growth rate increased by 0.4% (+37,900 jobs) in January 2024, double the national rate of 0.2% over the same period. Florida’s economic data continues to indicate economic stability and confidence among Florida’s workforce as the state’s labor force grew by 2.2% (+243,000) over the year in January 2024, faster than the national over-the-year rate of 0.8%, including 16,000 net new workforce participants in January 2024.
Florida’s statewide unemployment rate has been lower than the national rate for 39 consecutive months. The national unemployment rate was 3.7% for January 2024, 0.6 percentage point higher than Florida’s rate.
Jim Allen Elementary Names Students Of The Month
March 12, 2024
Jim Allen Elementary School recently named their February Students Of The Month. They are Ryleigh Brown and AJ Glodfelter. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.