The man wanted for sexually assaulting two teen girls at a Wilton Manors emergency shelter has been caught, police said Monday.
Brian Denby is facing three counts of of lewd and lascivious battery on a person between 12 and 15 years old and two counts of lewd or lascivious exhibition in the Jan. 7 incident at Kids in Distress, Wilton Manors Police said.
According to police, detectives working the case received an anonymous tip from an acquaintance of Denby on Friday who said a couple days after the crime, Denby confessed to assaulting the teens.
Police discovered Denby was on a cruise ship that had left the Port of Miami on Friday afternoon, and worked closely with port authorities and Customs agents.
Federal agents and Wilson Manors Police officers arrested Denby on Monday once the ship docked, police said. He had been traveling with an adult, police said.He made a full confession and corroborated statements made by the victims and witnesses, police said.
"We wanted to have the element of surprise. We boarded the ship as soon as it docked. We were prepared with a warrant in hand," said Chuck Howard of the Wilton Manors Police.
Police say at least four people saw the suspect sexually assault the girls, who were staying at the shelter. Last week, Kids in Distress CEO Mark Dhooge said the organization had never had an incident like this and said two employees at the shelter were fired for lack of supervision.
"This was an isolated incident when these girls were running outside the campus. I highly doubt he was on our campus previously. I think that this sergeant was correct that this was an encounter that just occurred randomly," Dhooge said.
Denby was being held without bond and it was unknown whether he has an attorney.
Kids in Distress is now looking to better secure the facility.
"We've actually met with two security experts in the field already. We have another meeting tomorrow just to get several differences of opinion,as far as what we can do to secure our campus a little bit further," Dhooge said.
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