Palm Coast man arrested in St. Johns for touching child, detectives say

A man was arrested in St. Johns County on Friday for inappropriately touching a child under 12, deputies said.

Robert Gerrard Aquaro, 68, of Palm Coast, is charged for using a computer service lure a child to commit an unlawful sexual act. He is also charged with unlawful use of a two-way communication device and two counts of simple battery.

The investigation began earlier this week when the mother of a young girl found alleged inappropriate text messages between the suspect and the child and notified the Sheriff’s Office.

St. Johns County and Flagler County detectives issued a search warrant at  Aquaro's home in Palm Coast on Friday, where they seized several communication devices that will be searched.

Related links: Top Stories

The victim’s family and Aquaro have been acquaintances for the past two months. During that time, deputies said they learned that Aquaro inappropriately touched the girl on two separate occasions.

Aquaro was booked into the St. Johns County Jail on Friday.

"For us, in law enforcement, it's quite an upsetting set of circumstances we see with a young child," said SJSO Cmdr. Churck Mulligan.

Mulligan urged parents to be aware of what their children are doing online.

"It's just so critical that our parents know where their young people are in regards to this digital communications, because a lot of the approaches, if you will, and a lot of the communications and setups come through that digital communication before actual contact," he said.

The investigation is continuing.

Cox Media Group