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Babysitter is charged in deadly sex assault

By COLLEEN JENKINS
Published August 31, 2006

TAMPA - A grand jury indicted Eric Tate on charges of first-degree felony murder, aggravated child abuse and capital sexual battery Wednesday, crimes authorities say the 18-year-old committed against a toddler in his care.

The news did little to ease the pain of 2½-year-old Heather Marie Romance's family.

"I don't even know what to think," said Jammie Cessna, the girl's father. "Everything's a blur lately."

The family's lives changed Aug. 17, the day Heather lost hers. Tate, Heather's babysitter and her mother's boyfriend, was watching the child in Lutz a day earlier. He told a friend that Heather fell off a couch and hit a coffee table.

But doctors at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital found more than bruises on Heather. According to Tate's arrest report, Heather was bleeding from her genital area and an exam found she had been penetrated.

Investigators found the child's blood-soiled panties on Tate's bed.

They initially charged him with capital sexual battery and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. He has been held with no bail at the Falkenburg Road jail. The grand jury added the new charges.

Felony murder means Heather's death resulted from another crime, in this case aggravated child abuse, prosecutor Rita Peters said.

Heather's mother, Amy Romance, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Cessna's mother, Gail Cessna, said she hoped her granddaughter's death would prompt other parents to be vigilant when choosing babysitters.

"You need to watch every person that is around your child," she said. "It's unbelievable to think this beautiful little girl was taken in that way."

Colleen Jenkins can be reached at cjenkins@sptimes.com or 813 226-3337.

[Last modified September 3, 2006, 12:08:42]