Sheriff: Palmetto man could face additional Child Abuse charges

SARASOTA COUNTY, FL  –  Behzad Izadi, 57, of Palmetto has been charged with sexual abuse in Sarasota and Manatee counties after three children disclosed he abused them during parties at his home in 2013, and at a condo he was renting on Siesta Key last year, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office said.

Izadi was charged May 26 with three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation and one count of lewd and lascivious battery with regard to the now 14-year-old victim in Sarasota County.  He had been previously charged May 17 with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for allegedly supplying drugs and alcohol to two other teens.

Detectives began investigating Izadi when the 14-year-old Sarasota child told a counselor in April that she was sexually battered at a July 4, 2016 party on Siesta Key.  The alleged victim said that she was invited to the July 4 overnight party with a group of her girlfriends.  Izadi rented the condo on Siesta Beach for the party and was the only adult present.

According to a Sheriff’s Office report:

Izadi bought alcohol for the minors and encouraged them to drink. The victim stated that she had also attended other parties with Izadi where he was “handing out Xanax” to her 13 and 14-year-old girlfriends.

On the night of the incident, the victim said she recalls Izadi touching her twice sexually while she slept on a living room couch, and once after she moved to a bedroom where her friends were sleeping.  Scared and “in shock” over the incident, she called her mother in the morning who came immediately and picked her up.

The victim said she noticed other friends had suddenly stopped hanging out around Izadi and learned of similar incidents.  A second 14-year-old victim reported being touched by Izadi while staying the night at his home.  A third 14-year-old victim said that Izadi would give her two to three Xanax at a time and supplied her with marijuana.  She said she would forget what happened to her those nights about an hour after she took the pills.

The third victim said she would recall some of the events from video snippets taken she discovered on her phone, but did not remember she and her friends “partying.”

A fourth 14-year-old teen was interviewed on May 25 and additional charges could be filed, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Izadi posted bonds totaling $27,500 in Manatee County, and was released May 17.  He was arrested May 28 in Sarasota County and remains in custody on bonds totaling $600,000.

Detectives believe there may be more victims and ask anyone with information regarding Izadi or his actions to contact them the Criminal Investigations Section at 941-861-4916.