Couple arrested for capital sexual battery

Gretl Plessinger reported to Historic City News that two area residents are in custody, without bond, each charged with capital sexual battery. An FDLE investigation found the defendants battered two female children in separate incidents.

Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested 18-year-old Paul Dykes Jr., and his former girlfriend, 20-year-old Erin Marie Vickers, in an ongoing investigation that was initiated from a tip received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office assisted with the investigation which began last August. Both are being held in the Flagler County Jail.

FDLE Agents initially arrested Dykes on March 26, 2015 for 10 counts of child pornography and two counts of transmission of child pornography after serving a search warrant at his home, 22 Buffalo Meadow Lane in Palm Coast.

As the investigation continued, investigators found images of Dykes abusing a child under the age of 5 and images of Vickers abusing another child under the age of 5.

On April 6, Dykes was charged with capital sexual battery on a child under 12 and two counts of promoting the sexual performance of a child.

Earlier today, FDLE Agents and Flagler County Sheriff’s Office Deputies arrested Vickers on capital sexual battery on a child under 12.

Anyone with information about this investigation is urged to contact FDLE’s Jacksonville Regional Operations Center at (800) 226-6481. The cases will be prosecuted by the Office of the State Attorney, 7th Judicial Circuit.