Delfin Back was arrested after police say a 12-year-old girl gave birth to his baby at a park in Pinellas County. Image is courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.Â
Read more ZooTampa’s baby boom: Historic manatee birth highlights latest conservation wins
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. – Officers arrested a St. Petersburg man after a 12-year-old girl unexpectedly gave birth at Helen Howarth park last Thursday, revealing a history of abuse by a relative, according to Pinellas Park police.
Pinellas Park police arrest suspect
What we know:
Police went to Helen Howarth Park last Thursday around 10:30 p.m. after receiving reports that a child was born at the location.
Emergency responders took both the 12-year-old girl and her newborn baby to an area hospital, where officials report both are healthy and receiving ongoing care.
Detectives interviewed the child, who stated she did not realize she was pregnant. She told investigators that a family member had sexually battered and molested her multiple times at a home in Pinellas Park.
Read more DNA technology identifies 3 men in decades-old Hillsborough cold cases: ‘Identities restored’
Authorities said the pregnancy and subsequent birth were the result of capital sexual battery. Investigators located the suspect, Delfin Back, 61, at his st. Petersburg home and took him into custody.
Officers booked Back into the Pinellas County jail last Friday.Â
He has been charged with sexual battery on a child under the age of 12.Â
Unanswered questions surrounding case
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not released details regarding how long the alleged abuse occurred or whether additional charges will be filed against the suspect.
Officials have also not disclosed the specific hospital where the young mother and her newborn are receiving medical treatment.
Read more St. Petersburg police arrest teen in fatal YMCA bathroom shooting
About the Author
