Staff report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Justin Llewellyn Westerman, a 42-year-old Tallahassee resident, has been booked into the Alachua County Jail on allegations that he sexually abused a nine-year-old girl during a 2017 visit to Gainesville.
According to law enforcement records, the girl reported the alleged incident to authorities in Tallahassee in 2022. She told investigators that Westerman had taken her to Gainesville to visit the Butterfly Museum and that the two stayed at a hotel nearby. The victim alleged that Westerman entered the shower with her despite her efforts to stop him, and that she felt his genitals touch her back. She also reported that while she was in bed, Westerman allegedly touched her genitals under her clothing. Investigators said the victim reported that the alleged abuse happened on both nights of the hotel stay.
The Gainesville Police Department was notified of the allegations in March 2026 by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, which had been investigating separate incidents reported to have occurred in Leon County. A GPD detective later contacted the victim, who reportedly repeated and confirmed the details of the Gainesville allegations.
In June 2026, prosecutors in Alachua County formally charged Westerman with two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim younger than 12. Any prior criminal history is not publicly available because documents tied to sexual offense cases are not posted. Westerman is currently being held without bond while awaiting a hearing on a State Attorney’s Office motion seeking to keep him detained without bail until trial. If a judge rejects that request, a bond amount will be determined at the 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.
