Office of the State Attorney

DELAND – A DeBary man will spend the rest of his natural life in a state prison facility following his conviction on a Capital Sexual Battery on a Child charge. Jarod Hartshorne, 34, was convicted today, May 28, 2015 of the capital felony following a two-day jury trial in DeLand. Hartshorne was also designated a sexual predator. The Volusia jury deliberated for three hours before returning the guilty verdict.

            Evidence presented at trial showed that Hartshorne repeatedly performed oral sex on a child. The Victim’s parent discovered the Defendant performing a sex act on the child in one particular incident and notified police. He was apprehended by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office shortly thereafter.

            Assistant State Attorney Robin Hutcheson, of the State Attorney’s Career Criminal Unit, prosecuted the case. Seventh Circuit Judge Margaret Hudson presided over the case and pronounced the life sentence.