Sex offender Benjerman Riley’s whereabouts are unknown.
TAMPA - In 1998, Benjerman Riley, 20, went to live with a family in their Southeast Seminole Heights home.
Two weeks into his stay, a woman in the house accused Riley of molesting her 7-year-old daughter. She said Riley groped the girl under her clothes and kissed her in a sexual manner.
A jury found Riley, who has a bulldog tattooed to his upper right biceps, guilty of committing a lewd and lascivious act on a child under 16. Judge Cynthia Holloway sentenced the 5-foot-9, 195-pound Riley to prison as a youthful offender for two years, followed by two years probation. He also had to complete a sex offender treatment program.
For almost a year after his release from prison in October 2000, Riley appeared to have met his probation conditions. But in September 2001, he left his job at the Sunny Florida Dairy in Tampa without permission.
He also missed his monthly visit with his probation officer and was kicked out of his sex offender treatment program because of excessive absences, according to probation violation affidavits.
On Oct. 16, 2001, Riley's probation officer filled out an affidavit outlining his violations and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Nearly two months later, deputies picked up Riley at his apartment on E Hillsborough Avenue . He was found guilty of violating his probation. But he was released on the same probation conditions. He was also ordered to enter a sex offender class immediately.
A year later, Riley violated his probation again for failing to complete his sex offender class and moving to different residence without permission. In the months that followed, he would be charged with failing to report as a sex offender - a violation of the sexual assault case - and failing to register, a violation stemming from his October 2001 warrant for violating.
But that wasn't enough to get Riley's probation revoked. In December, a judge placed Riley on five years' sex offender probation. If he violated his probation again, the judge warned, he would spend almost nine years behind bars, court records show. He walked out of jail two weeks before Christmas.
In January, a month after the threat of prison, the Kentucky native had several conversations with his probation officer, Robert Cascio, according to probation records. Cascio told Riley in person to attend his sex offender counseling class and to report to his office the next month.
Riley wasn't home for his 10 p.m. curfew when Cascio paid two surprise visits. Riley also did not attend his sex offender counseling class that week.
In February, Riley didn't show up for his appointment with Cascio. Six days later, the assistant manager at the Rainbow Mobile Home Park told Cascio that Riley had moved out.
There's a warrant out for Riley's arrest. His whereabouts are unknown.
