SARASOTA — An 84-year-old man was convicted this month on charges of molesting minors.
John Cathcart McCartney was found guilty by a Sarasota County jury on three counts of lewd and lascivious molestation against a minor.
He was also convicted for one count each of “unnatural and lascivious act” and lewd and lascivious exhibition with a minor.
McCartney was arrested by the North Port Police Department in 2014 after officers received complaints from a minor that McCartney coerced them into a sexual act.
In his arrest report, McCartney claimed the three minors listed as victims regularly came over to his house without parental supervision to watch television and eat snacks.
When asked how the juveniles’ mother felt about these visits, McCartney allegedly told officers he had never spoken to their mother.
During forensic interviews, the minors said McCartney coerced them into sexual acts before he would give them snacks and ice cream.
NPPD posted on social media about McCartney’s conviction Friday, praising both the minors for coming forward and the prosecutors of the State Attorney’s Office for pursuing the case.