A South Daytona registered citizen was accused of soliciting a teen in a bathroom of a party venue at a local mall.

Allegedly, a 15 year old boy was at a birthday party at the venue, went to use the bathroom, someone made suggestive gestures under the stall. The boy and his father followed the suspect until he slipped away, but then the father went on the FDLE site to identify the alleged perpetrator, who was then arrested and is sitting in jail.

Here’s the problem; while the accused was at the mall, the owner of the party venue says he has 12 cameras in his location and confirmed that the registrant wasn’t in the venue.

While we don’t know what really happened, the story points out how easy it is for a registrant to be targeted by a vigilante . Suppose the father saw the man in the mall, recognized the registrant from the list and decided to provide a little of his own justice, it would be very easy to do.

_________

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. —The family of a South Daytona sex offender accused of soliciting sex from a 15-year-old boy in a mall bathroom Saturday says it’s a lie.

Kevin Gill, 46, was arrested Tuesday. The family says Gill is an easy target because of his past.

Gill will have to post $100,000 bond to get out of jail. He’s accused of following a 15-year-old boy into a public bathroom at the Sunshine Park Mall, and asking him for sex through a stall door. He is also accused of making lewd gestures and sounds. Police can place Gill at the mall with surveillance video, but Gill’s life partner said Gill was grocery shopping, not stalking a child.

“Because I know him, 22 years, I know him. I know who I live with, I know who I married. No, this is wrong,” said Gill’s life partner.

David Jackson owns “That One Fun Place” in the mall where the victim and his dad were celebrating a birthday before the teen left to use a bathroom. Jackson has 12 cameras constantly monitoring to protect the children there.

“Everybody that comes in is given a wristband that distinguishes them, which group they’re in, and how many people are in their group. This guy was never in our business,” Jackson said.

But investigators said Gill was allegedly in the mall when the victim sent a text to his dad from the bathroom about what was going on. Jackson called 911 as the father followed the suspect.

Police said Gill ultimately slipped away, but that the victim’s father later recognized Gill on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s sex offender website, where he is listed as having been convicted in 1996 of a sex act on a child. Gill’s family thinks that’s why police have focused on him. Police said both the victim and his father have no doubt it was Gill.

If the suspect can post $100,000 bond, there are other conditions of his release. He can’t be around anyone under the age of 18 without the express consent of a parent or guardian and he cannot use public restrooms.

SOURCE