Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – An 85-year-old man named Larry Kent Henderson from Madras, Oregon, has been taken into custody for committing sexual battery against a child under 12 years old back in 1997 in Gainesville.

The Alachua County Sheriff’s Office met with the victim on January 17, 2024, where she recounted being under 10 when her relative, Henderson, acted inappropriately towards her at his Kenwood residence.

According to the victim, Henderson frequently made inappropriate remarks about her body and took pictures of her in outfits like leotards or urged her to swim without clothes. She clearly recalls the first instance of inappropriate contact as she was wearing new Disney-themed underwear. She explained that when others were in different parts of the house, Henderson asked to see underneath her dress. Fearing punishment because buying the underwear had been forbidden, she reluctantly complied.

When she showed her dress, Henderson moved her underwear aside and made improper contact. She described feeling confused, distanced herself from him, and then he exposed himself, suggesting she engage with him. She immediately sought another adult and made sure to avoid being alone with Henderson thereafter.

Henderson has a history of convictions for sexual offenses involving children in Oregon, where he resides. Documents from Alachua County reveal that in 1962, he faced child molestation charges in Missouri, though they were dismissed. He also faced charges of attempted rape and attempted sodomy in Washington in 1968, though the outcome is unknown. In Oregon in 2004, charges included sexual abuse and various degrees of rape and sodomy, resulting in convictions for rape and sexual abuse. More charges followed in 2018 for first and second-degree sexual abuse in Oregon, leading to further convictions for second-degree abuse.

Currently, Henderson has been charged with a single count of sexual battery involving a victim under 12. Judge Meshon Rawls has ordered him to be held without bail, pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s office to retain him without bail until the trial. Should the motion be denied by the judge, bail will subsequently be set at this hearing.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.