- September 10, 2024
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A Palm Coast man was arrested on Aug. 14 for allegedly molesting and raping a young girl repeatedly over the course of eight years.
Michael Louis Pilla, 71, began assaulting the girl in 2015, when she was just 7 years old, and the abuse continued until June 2023 when she was 14, according to his arrest report. Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Deputies interviewed Pilla who admitted to the assaults but said he thought the 7-to-14-year-old had given him a “signal” that she wanted and enjoyed it, the report said.
Pilla also admitted to deputies that the victim had told him to stop.
Pilla was arrested on the following charges, according to the Flagler County Clerk of Court website: one count of sexual assault of a victim under 12 by a person over 18, a capital offense; two counts of first-degree molestation and another four counts of second-degree molestation; three counts of first-degree sexual assault on a victim over 12 by a familial or custodial authority.
If Pilla is convicted of the first charge, he could face the death penalty under a 2023 law Gov. Ron DeSantis passed. The law allows prosecutors to seek the death penalty in child rape convictions where the suspect is over 18 and the victim is under 12 years old, according to Florida State Statute 794.011.
A warrant was served for Pilla’s arrest on Aug. 13, and the suspect was taken into custody the next day. Pilla is being held at the Flagler County jail without bond.
