Tampa Man Gets Life For Molesting Girl, Dousing Her With Bleach

TAMPA, FL — A Tampa man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl and pouring bleach on her genitals and clothes in an attempt to destroy the evidence.

Upon the recommendation of prosecutors with the Hillsborough County State Attorney's Office, on Monday Circuit Court Judge Kimberly Fernandez sentenced Lewis Matthews, 43, to the mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison.

“It’s heartbreaking to sit in court and watch a victim, who has been sexually abused by someone who is supposed to be caring for her, testify on the stand," Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren said. "That’s why I’m so proud of the work that our prosecutors do to hold these offenders accountable, stand up for the victims and send these predators away for life."

According to court records, at 3:30 a.m. on April 13, 2019, the 10-year-old victim was sleeping on the floor in her living room while Matthews was visiting the home. Matthews had dated the girl's mother for several years and was like a stepfather to her.

Prosecutors said Matthews undressed the girl while she slept and then molested and sexually battered her. The girl’s mother heard a noise, came downstairs and found Matthews molesting her daughter. She immediately called 911.

As the mother was speaking with a 911 dispatcher, Matthews quickly put the girl and the two other children in the home in his car. The mother screamed for him to return her children as he drove off, according to testimony.

Matthews drove to a nearby Citgo gas station and brought the girl into the convenience store. He then ordered her to go into the bathroom. Meanwhile, Matthews grabbed a $1.99 bottle of Clorox bleach from a store shelf and went into the bathroom. He told the girl to remove her pants and underwear. Then he splashed the bleach on her genitals and threw the girl's underwear in the dumpster behind the store.

Matthews' attempt to destroy DNA evidence with the bleach failed. Investigators from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office found Matthews’ DNA on the bleach-stained underwear, as well as on the 10-year-old's body and on other clothing.

The jury came back with a guilty verdict on June 4 following a three-day trial. Matthews was convicted on all four counts.

On Monday, Fernandez sentenced him to life in prison for the sexual battery of a victim younger than 12 years old; 25 years each for two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim younger than 12; and five years for tampering with evidence.

Those sentences will run concurrently.

Warren praised the work of his prosecutors, Melissa Grajales and Kathryn Bonti.

Grajales is a member of the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office Special Victims Unit, dedicated to prosecuting crimes against children, the elderly and other vulnerable members of the community.

Warren also lauded Hillsborough County sheriff's detective Carrie Carrero, "who showed exceptional dedication to supporting and advocating for the young victim."

“Parents who are sexually abusing kids in their custody—it makes your blood boil," Warren said. "That’s why we’re aggressively prosecuting cases like these. And that’s why these people deserve to spend the rest of their lives in prison."