A Gainesville man was arrested on suspicion of failing to update police of his internet, phone and vehicle changes — required acts due to his sexual predator status.
Edward Deon Cain, 64, faces a total of nine felony charges: one count of failure of a sexual predator to report a change in vehicles owned, one count of failure of a sexual predator to report a change in cellular telephone number, two counts of failure of a sexual predator to register an internet identifier and five counts of providing false sexual predator registration information.
Florida courts designated Cain a sexually violent predator in 2011 after convictions of assault and sexual battery with an 11-year-old victim, according to a press release.
Sexual predators are required to register with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement any new vehicles, phone numbers or internet accounts within 48 hours, according to Florida Statutes.
FDLE agents first investigated Cain in October, after receiving allegations that he was harassing a previous victim and failed to provide registration information.
Agents found a Facebook account registered as Deon Cain with pictures that appeared to be him, according to the arrest report. Law enforcement subpoenaed Meta and received information Nov. 19 showing an email and phone number registered to the account as well.
The account allegedly messaged Cain’s daughter and others regularly, according to the arrest report. The email was also pinged at his two homes multiple times throughout 2022.
Cain also purchased a car in April 2022, which he allegedly never reported. The Ocala Police Department pulled him over Feb. 3 and discovered the vehicle was his.
Cain had these items by May 3 or earlier, in which he failed to report them over the course of multiple standard reregistration forms at the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office over the course of five months.
He was taken to Alachua County Jail with a $225,000 bond.
Cain’s former felony background includes a 1986 conviction for sexual battery, a 1990 conviction for two counts of lewd and lascivious assault and a 2006 conviction for battery and false imprisonment of an adult or child under 13.
He also has faced several charges that were dropped by prosecutors — namely burglary and three charges of sexual battery of a child under 12.
It’s also not the first time Cain allegedly failed to comply with sexual offender registration laws; he was sentenced in Marion County on a similar charge in 2008, according to his police report.
His next hearing is not scheduled as of Thursday evening.
Contact Aidan Bush at abush@alligator.org. Follow him on Twitter @aidandisto.
Aidan Bush is a fourth-year journalism major and the Summer 2024 Editor-in-Chief of The Alligator. In his free time, he likes to listen to music and go kayaking.
