And he jumped full speed on me, put me in the pool. He was putting me in the pool. I couldn't get up. He was putting me He was putting me under the pool. He was just putting me back like this. And then he was putting me back, then he was putting me. >> Well, my girlfriend caught him looking at her sexually. I put my hands on him. Yes, I did. This man, I'm a grown man. He's a little boy. But at the end of the day, he didn't have no right to sit there and keep doing what he was doing. He was wrong. >> On Sunday, July 13th, 2025, officers with the Wildwood Police Department were dispatched to the Cypress Commons apartment complex on Huey Street after multiple callers reported an adult a child inside the community pool. When Officer Masella arrived and made contact with the 13-year-old victim, the story only grew more disturbing. >> about I don't even a grown man. >> Okay, can I Can I bring you over here and chat with you for a few minutes about what happened? >> And this is the daughter that he was playing with. That's the witness. >> Okay. I'm going to have Officer Gomez chat with her. Okay? My name's Officer Marsala. You can call me Christy. I'm just going to chat with you over here. Got a lot of people out playing today. If you want to chat with her, she she was a witness over there. What's going on, man? >> Um so, the whole time we were in the pool, we were just having fun. So, we were just playing this little game, all of us. It was me, him, just all all the kids was playing this little game. So, we was playing We was playing each other. And you can ask her, it was no offense or no harm in it. But I guess I I tried to swim and then like her dad thought that I was too rough with her and then her mom had came and stepped in. So, I was playing with her mom a little bit and then he jumped full speed on me, put me in the pool. He was putting me in the pool. I couldn't get up. He was putting me He was putting me under the pool. He grabbed me by like I don't even know what. Cuz he I I had no shirt, so he grabbed me by my thing. He he pulled me to the concrete where the steps at and was scraping my neck against the concrete saying, "Tell me something. Tell me something." And then that's when he got behind me. He he He started choking me and I could not breathe. >> Like this? >> Huh? >> Like this? >> Huh? >> Go like this? What happened on your elbow? >> I got scraped by concrete. >> Turn around. Where on your neck? >> He was just putting me back like this and then he was putting me back, then he was um putting me. And I couldn't even breathe the whole time. >> Do you know who this this person is? >> His name is Dakota. I don't know his last name though. >> Okay, all right. >> Upon arrival, Officer Maselle made contact with 13-year-old Caleb, a boy who just minutes earlier had been at the community pool horse playing with his friends when the boyfriend of one of the girls' mothers decided the game had gone too far. According to Caleb, the man had sprinted across the pool deck fully clothed, jumped into the water, and gotten his hands on him, holding him underwater, him against the concrete pool wall multiple times, and hitting him for nearly a minute in front of a group of screaming kids. As the officer continued questioning the boy, things only grew more bizarre. >> Do you know where Who's his daughter? >> Um she's right there. Well, that's not really his daughter, that's his stepdaughter, but >> This girl right here? >> Yes. >> And he thought that you were hurting her? >> Yeah, too hard for her, but you can ask her. She she she knows the joke. >> Where's her dad at? >> Um that's not her dad, but I don't know where he is. He won't come outside. My whole family tried to get him to come outside, he won't come outside. >> So, hang out with Mom, okay? Where does he live? >> He's just >> One of your officers >> Is there a reason you're sitting on your knees? Let's see your hands. All right, you can stand up. What's going on? >> A kid went underneath the pool and looked at my step or whatever you want to say stepdaughter cuz I'm in a relationship with her. >> Okay. >> And he went underneath the pool and he caught her Well, my girlfriend caught him in the mid process of trying to like look at her and like probably physically touch at her. >> Who Who saw that? >> The kid in the red >> shorts with no shirt on over there. His name is Caleb. >> And that's the only person >> saw that? You said somebody >> Everybody. I'm not going to lie. I ain't got nothing to lie to. Everybody did. All of them. >> too, which is why >> You can I'm going to have you go with Gomez. I'll be >> When I went to Away from us though. >> So, go ahead. >> I know how this all goes. >> That's awesome. I mean So, finish your story. So, you were told by your girlfriend that he was attempting to inappropriately touch her? >> Yes, and he look at her and all this other stuff. >> What does that mean to say he looked at her? >> the water and he would only do it underneath the water. >> Okay. >> He won't do it above the water where me and her can see him. >> Okay. >> And he's done it like throughout the whole day. >> For seven minutes straight. >> And I brought her to brought it to her attention and she got in the pool and he went underneath the water again and did the same thing and she caught him and that's when she's like, "Hey, I'm here." Doo doo doo doo and like caught him in mid mid like in the mid action of it. So, what do I do? I'm I'm supposed to defend him with my heart, with my life. I'm supposed to protect her daughter and her son and her. So, when they were being targeted, I stepped in and I even told him if he wanted to go get his [ __ ] daddy, go get go get your daddy. You know, at the end of the day, you're wrong for what you're doing. You're sitting here and you're sitting here like doing [ __ ] and like looking at her like she's a [ __ ] piece of >> Well, did he did he touch her at all or he was just he was looking >> Yes. Yes. >> Did he today? >> Yes. I won't tell you it'll probably be in the in the pool. I was playing in the pool. That's what he said. >> And did you observe anything? >> Yes, I did. I watched I was over there watching him. Yes, ma'am. >> And you observed him touch her inappropriately? >> Yes. >> What did you observe him >> underneath the water and like pick her up and like grab her, but you don't need to pick somebody up by like going up behind their thighs and [ __ ] and >> So, like >> Just like down low. >> When Officer Maselle made contact with the man later identified as 24-year-old Dakota Lee Henry, the encounter got off to a strange start and within long the first cracks in his story began to show. >> He was grabbing her thighs or her >> Her thighs. There. Just like all the way all the way around there. >> Well, you're grown enough person to know what the anatomy on a body is. So, use the anatomy Do you don't have to Don't grab me. >> this right here. >> So, the upper thighs? >> Yes, ma'am. >> But not the or the >> I can't I can't say. I was I was under the water to see it. >> you didn't see him touch her >> see. Couldn't see. >> Well, you can say if you saw it or not. >> But if above the water, I can, but underneath the water, I can't. >> Okay, so I'm going to ask you again. >> Did you observe him touch her inappropriately on her any of her private parts? Did you observe it with your eyes? Maybe one time today. >> He grabbed her above like above her >> Above her or her >> Above her >> Okay, so here we go. Let's focus. >> Should he be touching another >> No, look, you're I'm not trying to judge. I'm just I'm trying to get on the same page as you. >> So you get my story and get their story. >> So you understand above the >> It's not I know. >> Is the lower back. That's What What is a private area? Can you tell me? >> The private area would be >> Okay. Okay. What else on a woman is a private area? Did you observe him touch any of those areas? >> Would you count the the lower back right above her >> So that's not any of the areas you just described to me as anatomy. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. Now, let's continue on. You All of that occurred today and and then and then tell me the rest. What What else went down? >> I left. I turned around I got tired of seeing >> [clears throat] >> It It It's funny how all those won't go over there and do the same thing that he was doing. Only him, though. >> So nothing else occurred between you and this You didn't speak with him or anything like that or go swim or get in the water? >> Yeah, I did. Yes, I did. I put my hands on him. Yes, I did. This man, I'm a grown man. He's a little boy. Yes, but at the end of the day he didn't have no right to sit there and keep doing what he was doing. He was wrong. And he knows he was wrong. Yes, I will put my hands behind my back. I already know I'm going to >> I'm I'm still talking to you right now. >> But I know at the end of the day how this is going to end. This is not my first rodeo. That I am going to jail. And that is fine. That is perfectly fine. The only thing I I request is that the truth. So that way I can go ahead and fulfill my head with what is to come when I get there. >> Okay. That's great. So did you run from us? Did you >> No, I did not run. I ran I ran to the house after the incident and I came here and I sat here and I for you guys. I don't need to run. I have a truck and everything. I could have gotten in my truck and and left and go all the way to Orlando, but I didn't. >> Okay. Okay. >> And I'm not going to. Again, I'm not going to run from what I did. >> I'm going to read this just because I have to. So, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against With that in mind, are you wanting to answer any questions that I have? >> No, ma'am. >> You don't want to? >> Anything that I say will be used against me like you just said in a court of law, so I guess that I say nothing. >> Okay, I'm going to have to Ramona. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Do you want to just let's have you come sit right here with Officer Lyons while he runs you. Just have a seat right here for me, okay? >> Fasten. >> I'd rather you sit. You seem pretty limber. Look at that. It's good. You got him? >> According to Dakota, Caleb had been looking at his stepdaughter, but when the officer pushed for the details that would actually make any of that criminal, Dakota contradicted himself out loud. He clearly thought he had already told his story well enough to walk away from it, but his own girlfriend, the mother of the girl he was claiming to have defended, was about to give her own statement to officers, and her version of the afternoon didn't have a lot in common with his. >> Okay. >> Hi. >> So, what we got? >> So, basically what she's telling me is same thing the daughter said. Her friend was um play playing with her, [clears throat] grabbed her by the legs, and was course playing around. She didn't like that because of her daughter's situation in the past with getting by another boy >> Understood. >> run like that as well. And so, she kind of just jumped in the pool and was like, "Hey, like what's like you know, what are you doing?" >> Kind of, so and then he like didn't get to her, he got to me first. To where when he came up, he was like, "Oh." And I was just like, "Hey, how's it going?" I'm not Avrol, like you want to >> What's your daughter's name? >> Yes, Avrol, yes. And so, the and then he, Caleb, literally instead went down and he like picked me up by the legs like to or I don't know if he just thought it was a joke or he just thought I was part of the horse play, but the moment he was when he jumped in. >> Okay. So, at any point did he touch her inappropriately on her on her >> I didn't see any and half of it literally between them all like horse playing around. I didn't see it and no disrespect but it's not like you can see what goes on in there. >> No, and I understand that but it's a question I have to ask. If you observed any type of inappropriate touching >> Do I think >> on your daughter's >> Yes, but according to them that they're just playing around. >> At any point did you see him touch any of your daughter's >> areas? >> private areas? Okay. >> All righty. Just hang tight with her for me. >> What did Avril say? >> She said the same thing that her her friend and her were just playing around and it was all a joke. It was nothing serious or anything like that. That's just how they play and she's very close with Caleb. >> So, she didn't say that he >> No, he didn't I don't think anything like >> Okay. If you want to get her ID, you want that? >> If it wasn't already painfully clear, it certainly became clear when even Avril, according to the stepdad, the girl he had tried to protect didn't see the boy's actions as any big deal and thought he'd overreacted big time. And one thing was for sure, the boy's mom wouldn't just let this incident slide. >> So, at this point what is it you're wanting to see done? Are you wanting to press >> Absolutely cuz that don't make no sense. I'm sorry. >> Is she able to write a statement for me as to what occurred? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. Were you present? >> No, I was in the house. >> Okay. >> Just left the pool and the crazy thing about it is they were just playing all day long. He even gave my son popsicles. >> Okay. >> So, I'm not understanding why. >> No prior history with with >> Never. I never had any problems out here. >> Okay. All righty. Miss Avril, are you able to write a statement as to what occurred today? >> Um yeah, I can literally explain to you the whole thing. >> I know we have to request a written statement. You don't you don't have to. It's your choice. Okay. All right, I'm going to just get some paperwork, okay? So, I'm going to give each of you a piece of paper. I'm going to get you pens. I'm going to explain to you, okay? I only want the facts as to what occurred today with this incident. Nothing like you've had you know what I mean, nothing from the past. Just what occurred today. If you need more room than this, please come to one of the officers and we'll get you another sheet. We don't want you to write in the back, okay? >> want me to write do you want me to write on how it happened? Like what happened? >> occurred today. Like what you told me over here. >> Okay. >> Okay? >> Okay. >> Um you're going to put your name and your birthday and then you can have if you know your address and your phone number, okay? All right. Welcome to shift. I got to still get um the other girl's name. I've got both the kids writing statements. Um did anybody give you the >> Maybe a short brief. I told him to talk to you cuz I don't know much. I came up like 5 minutes >> [clears throat] >> Right. So, when I came up and approached him, first of all, he was on his knees like this. Um >> Well, if you know what I mean. >> He got up. I basically I asked him what happened. He told me that he basically has been watching all day Caleb little boy touch Avril, his stepdaughter, inappropriately all day. Yeah. Well, it's his girlfriend's daughter, her and stepdaughter. So, they all live together. >> Okay. >> Um he said that he's been watching Caleb touch her inappropriately all day and I said, "What do you mean inappropriately?" And he said, "Like the thighs." Well, I said, "At any point did he touch her private parts?" "Well, he touched her thighs." I said, so I specified and clarified what private parts were. Um and then I asked him, "Did he touch any of those parts?" He said, "Well, he touched me touched her above the above the the So, no. He did not Hey, thank you, buddy. I'll be with you in just a second, okay? >> know if you can't read it, I can read it. >> Okay. It looks pretty It looks looks pretty good. Um so, he said, "No. None of those areas were touched." But um, and I said, "Okay, so what I mean what else happened?" And he said I He said I put my hands on him at that point. >> kid that came over here? He put his hand on him? >> Yeah, he put his hands on that kid. >> Or did he walk over here? >> Yeah. Um, at that point I read Miranda and he declined to answer any further questions. Mom wants to press charges. >> In the end, Dakota Lee Henry was arrested and charged with cruelty without great bodily harm and transported to the Sumter County Detention Center on a $15,000 bond. During the investigation, Avril's mother told officers something Dakota had failed to mention. He had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and he was not taking his prescribed medication. She had known him for a total of 3 months. He had been living in her home with her children for two. The 13-year-old boy in that pool had been Avril's best friend for over 2 and 1/2 years.