Palatka man charged with sexual battery of young teen

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Marceon Kentrell Matson, 20, of Palatka, was arrested early yesterday morning for allegedly having sex with a young teenage girl.

At about 2:40 a.m. on March 11, a Gainesville Police Department officer responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle parked outside a vacant house in the 6500 block of NW 29th Terrace (the Northwood area). The officer reported that when he approached the car, Matson was lying on the victim’s lap in the back seat and the victim was not wearing pants. He also reported smelling burnt marijuana.

The age of the victim was redacted from the arrest report.

Post Miranda, Matson reportedly said he thought the victim was 18 years old and that he had met her about a year ago on Instagram, when he thought she was 17; he said he and the victim had had sex just before the officer arrived.

Matson also reportedly told another officer that he’d had intercourse with the victim about five times over one to two years.

The victim reportedly told the officer that Matson knew her true age, and she confirmed that they’d had sexual intercourse. She reportedly said she had smoked a little marijuana with Matson.

The officer reportedly found a used condom on the ground just outside the car, an open condom wrapper on the floorboard of the car, and about 3 grams of marijuana.

The arrest report notes that ignorance of a juvenile’s age, even if the juvenile misrepresents her age, cannot be raised as a defense in the prosecution in a case like this.

Matson has been charged with lewd/lascivious battery on a girl under 16 and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His full criminal history is unavailable, but he has a felony conviction in Flagler County for illegally carrying a concealed firearm, and he recently served 200 days in jail after violating probation. Judge Susan Miller-Jones ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold him without bail until trial.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.