Tampabay: Lunsford son held on sex charge

TAMPA - A sex offender brutally murdered his half sister, a sweet-natured Homosassa girl named Jessie.

His father, a Citrus County truck driver, is lobbying for harsher punishments for sex offenders.

Now, Joshua Lunsford, the 18-year-old son of Mark Lunsford, is accused of twice fondling a 14-year-old Ohio girl.

Lunsford has pleaded not guilty to felony charges of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in Springfield, Ohio, a city about 50 miles west of Columbus, court records show.

Lunsford was arrested May 18 on a warrant from the German Township Police Department. A preliminary court hearing is set for June 11. He did not return a call for comment.

Lunsford and the girl knew each other, and a police report lists them as romantically involved.

The girl's mother told police she had told Lunsford several times to stay away from her daughter and threatened to press charges if he didn't.

The Times is withholding the name of the girl and her mother because of the nature of the charges.

Joshua Lunsford grew up in the care of his mother, Tara Lunsford, not his father, said Mark Lunsford's attorney, Mark Gelman of Jacksonville.

Since his daughter's slaying in 2005, Lunsford has established a charitable foundation in her name.

He keeps a busy schedule of events and lobbies lawmakers for tougher laws against sex offenders.

Mark Lunsford has not yet talked with his son and doesn't know the details of what happened, Gelman said.

"There's only so much that a parent can do to control the activities of their kids, particularly when they're in the custody of someone else," Gelman said. "Certainly that type of activity is not condoned by him, and he fights hard to stop it in society."

News researcher John Martin contributed to this report. Abbie VanSickle can be reached at 226-3373 or vansickle@sptimes.com.

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by Dude	01/02/08 02:38 PM
Hated to see what happened to his innocent and wonderful child... But Mr, you should use your thinker when you strat backing BS legislation that can and will backfire. Don't you see that congress and FEDs they want full control. U helped start it. JA

by Edward	06/21/07 08:48 PM
oh how sad for mr romeo I guess now sexoffenders will have a face

by Edward	06/21/07 08:42 PM
commical these cartoon characters are exposed!! that will happen alot I can guarentt that Psych 101...point the finger so you can take the attention off of you! just like a bunch of monkeys Americans are!! Most normal people are not out to ruin lives

by t	06/08/07 03:59 AM
Karma, the sins of the father... "I can't get my hands on the guy that murdered my daughter so I've made it my job to make the rest of these sexual offenders and predators' lives miserable, as miserable as I can." A statement by Mark.

by K	06/05/07 09:43 PM
Sad but true. Mark Lundsford now says that the laws that he got pushed through dont apply to his son. Well tough banana's Mark. You wanted all the so called sex offenders hung now you can see your own son get the punishment you jammed down our throat

by Todd	06/04/07 11:24 AM
In what world can a 14 yr old girl give concent to have sex or to let anyone touch them, a 14 yr old girl or boy are childen and can not make a choice like that, and Child porn was found on mark lunsford computer.

by Bill	06/01/07 05:03 PM
I hadn't seen anyone complaining about the law when other teens were sentenced to prison for the same thing until this happened to Joshua. Joshua should have known the law since his father helped push them through.

by Lynn	05/31/07 04:13 PM
David how did you find out she was 16 at the time of their divorce? That is statutory rape! Mark had his 15 mins of fame & could have changed the laws to distinguish-he didn't. NOW he & his sex offender son will live in hell like other TEENAGERS!!

by peewee	05/31/07 03:30 PM
My bet friend was 14 when she met, and ran away from home with an 18 year old senior. She dropped out of school, had babies, and ended up on welfare when the 'romeo' let her. I feel bad for Joshua, but these laws were based on reason.

by Frank	05/31/07 12:48 PM
I wonder how long this powderkeg will take to explode. His son is now classified as a sex offender. I wonder how long it will take to come up with the Joshua's Law.

by Mr. Fenix	05/31/07 11:35 AM
Like father, like son! Mark Lunsford is a pedofile because they found child pornography on his computer. He is also a bad father and a drug addict.

by Newsreader	05/31/07 10:13 AM
Maybe we wont have to see or hear much more from Mark Lunsford. BTW How much $ does he pocket from that non-profit foundation as expense? Did he buy a new H-D as an expense too? That seems like it would be a good news investigation

by David	05/31/07 12:08 AM
If Mark was 26, and the mother of his 3 children was 16 at the divorce, then somethings not right, cuz FL law considers that sex crime, and quite a few counts.I applaude Marks efforts to have tougher restrictions,just dont call a kettle black.

by Jas3	05/30/07 10:47 PM
I wonder what this 14YO girl looks like and dresses like,the usual way 14YO and older girls nowAdays dress,like street walkers in their 30's. I like to bet, I will give 100 to 1 odds on this! any takers????

by Mica	05/30/07 09:36 PM
Mark Lunsford cannot have it both ways: cannot say that once a sex offender, always a sex offender. Then when HIS son has a charge, chalk it up to Romeo and Juliet. He's a political opportunist.

by John	05/30/07 09:06 PM
Hey Mike/Zman, Let us know when it happens to you (losing your child)to a reject that should have been behind bars to begin with, or dead... and see what story you want us to hear then. Oh, has it happened already?? Skeletons in the closets boys.

by David	05/30/07 08:32 PM
The son is low-class -- just like his father, Mark. Mark was a drunk bum who now has been placed on a pedestal based on what happened to his daughter.

by Bennie	05/30/07 08:04 PM
Mark Lundsford plays down the fact his son was with an underage girl by saying it's only a romeo and juliet. Well, so were a lot of other cases where the romeo is now labeled as a sex offender. You helped make this laws, now live with it.

by Dee	05/30/07 07:57 PM
I find it interesting that for all the stones that mark has thrown at people accused he is now seeing what it is like. Maybe now he will push for a real solution, a system to seperate the pedaphiles and romeo and juliets.

by Me	05/30/07 07:36 PM
Just for the record... it's pedophile, not pedafile. Come on people...

by Ursula	05/30/07 06:47 PM
They were "romantically involved" and they are both teenagers! This is not a "SEX" crime! What a bunch of crap! The mother is misusing the law! This is not a case of some 30 year old teacher seducing a 14 year old girl - this is just two teens!

by Jeanette	05/30/07 04:51 PM
Come on now....Twenty years ago these two would be teenagers in their first relationship. They are only 4 years apart. Its not like anyone out there has known a 14 year old girl to have an 18 year old boyfriend?? Duh

by ME	05/30/07 04:21 PM
another example of this puritanical society making criminals out of its children - he's 18, she's 14 and they're in love - please, most of our grandparents would be sex offenders if that's the case! Jerry Lee Lewis & Bill Wyman married 13yo girls.

by Chad	05/30/07 03:39 PM
There is a world of difference between someone who would murder a child, and Joshua's fondling of the young girl, which may have been invited by her. Kids her age (14) are already sexually active on their own. Jessica did not invite her own murder.

by peggy	05/30/07 03:10 PM
Lunsford should have come home and not been "OUT w/ a friend" all night. Maybe he could have locked his parents' trailer door and kept his daughter from getting raped and murdered. Dad married a younger women. He wont be elected Congressman now

by Wade	05/30/07 03:07 PM
Mark Lunsford could do so much for people if only he would tell them to lock their doors. Had he done so, Jessica would still be alive. We must all protect ourselves and our children. The police cannot do it. More laws cannot do it.

by Thomas	05/30/07 02:33 PM
An irrational fear of pedophiles, is sweeping the nation. The existence of draconian laws plays into this falsehood because only those who are accused of committing crimes come to the attention of the public.

by Lisa	05/30/07 02:27 PM
Is ignorance bliss for some of you? Judge not lest you be judged...for the measure you use will be used unto you. So ready to point fingers and you don't know all the facts. Apparently you believe all you read....Get a grip!

by Brett	05/30/07 02:22 PM
For all we know the guy is a senior in high school and 14 year old girl a freshman in high school. Happens a lot more often than you think. If you dont beleive me, ask your kids how many freshman girls are dating the cool older boys.

by James	05/30/07 02:13 PM
Kate... I did the math. I have no idea what youò019re trying to say. Please elaborate.

by Heather	05/30/07 01:57 PM
he knows how it feels to be violated or knows what we went through then maybe he will support the tougher laws or maybe he is a pedafile that hasnt been caught yet or has been thinking of unspeakable acts with kids & doesnt want to serve the max

by Ally	05/30/07 01:36 PM
Up until now, Mark Lunsford has made the same mistake that most people have: assuming all person on the sex offender registry are pedophiles. There are MANY young men on the SOR for much less than that of which his son is accused.

by Dan	05/30/07 01:15 PM
18 and 14 is a high school senior dating a freshman. Sounds more "romeo and juliet" then "felony assault" to me. We'll see. . .

by CAROL	05/30/07 12:56 PM
THE SON SHOULD NOT BE TAGGED AS A OFFENDER. IF THEY WERE ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED..THE SON NEEDS TO BE CAREFUL OF WHO HE GETS INVOLVED WITH SINCE HIS DAD IS IN THE LIMELIGHT. STAY AWAY FROM THE MOTHERS DAUGHTER.

by KIm	05/30/07 12:42 PM
Jessica's mother was 16 and having a relationship with Mark L. being 26 at the that time? He has two other children with how many women?

Lunsford son held on sex charge

Joshua Lunsford, 18, is accused of fondling a 14-year-old girl.