Duval County Jury Finds Latibeaudere Guilty of Sexually Assaulting Child

State Attorney Melissa Nelson announces that a Duval County jury found KJ Latibeaudere guilty of Lewd or Lascivious Battery. With the verdict, Latibeaudere faces up to 15 years in Florida State Prison. The Honorable Jeb Branham will sentence Latibeaudere at a later date.

On Dec. 26, 2023, Latibeaudere met the 14-year-old victim on Instagram and began messaging her to meet and smoke marijuana. Around 3 a.m. on Jan. 2, 2024, Latibeaudere drove to the child’s home to hang out in his car. While inside the car, Latibeaudere pulled out a handgun, snatched her phone, and forced the victim to remove her clothes and get into the backseat. While in the backseat, he assaulted her. When the victim was  given back her phone and allowed to leave his car, she sought help and received a sexual assault examination by the UF Child Protection Team. The samples were sent to Florida Department of Law Enforcement for testing; sperm cells found on the victim’s clothing were a match for Latibeaudere.

The case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Terence Martin and Octavius Holliday.