April 6, 2011
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

TEENS CHARGED WITH SEX OFFENSE AT DELINQUENCY PROGRAM

Three teenage boys court-ordered into a juvenile delinquency program in Daytona Beach were arrested Wednesday after being accused of sexually brutalizing another boy at the facility with a toothbrush. Volusia County Sheriff’s investigators executed court orders Wednesday to remove the teens from the program and deliver them to the Volusia Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Daytona Beach.

The incident involving the 14-year-old victim and a toothbrush occurred Sunday morning at Stewart-Marchman-Act Behavioral Healthcare. The incident was reported the next day to the Sheriff’s Office and the agency’s Sex Crimes Unit was brought in to investigate. The victim and the suspects all had been court-ordered into the facility’s residential Oaks Program for delinquent boys. Sunday morning, the four were together in their dorm room when they started wrestling. However, what initially started as horseplay took a serious turn when the three boys -- 15-year-olds Victor Ogiste and Rio Peters and 16-year-old Devante Edwards -- took the victim to the ground. Once the victim was down, one of the teens straddled his chest while the other two held his legs. Then they took his pants off and Ogiste grabbed a toothbrush and sexually battered the victim. The victim wasn’t injured and didn’t require medical attention. Based on witness statements, investigators believe Ogiste’s actions may have been retaliation for the victim urinating in the shower.

Ogiste was charged with sexual battery, and Edwards and Peters were charged with being a principle to sexual battery.