Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kevin Jermaine Allen, 26, who was arrested in September for sexually battering a young girl, has now been charged with 12 counts of possessing a photo or video of a sexual performance by a child.

Allen was arrested on September 13 after a girl under the age of 12 told her mother that Allen had touched her inappropriately while she was spending the night with Allen and his family.

The child said she fell asleep on the sofa and awakened to find Allen’s hand inside her clothing. She reportedly fled to another room and tried to call her mother, but it was the middle of the night, and her mother did not answer; she finally reached another relative, who picked her up from Allen’s residence. Later that morning, the child told her mother what had happened, and the child was forensically interviewed and medically evaluated; according to Allen’s arrest report, the results of both confirmed that Allen had sexually battered the child while she slept and continued after she woke up.

Allen reportedly had two cell phones when he was arrested, and a Gainesville Police Department detective applied for a search warrant to search the phones. A search of the phone reportedly produced 205 images of female children who appeared to be pre-pubescent; 19 of the images qualified as child sexual abuse material. Allen is being charged for 12 photos, 11 of which reportedly show close-up images of a young girl’s genitals; one is a picture of a young girl in lingerie. The detective noted that “numerous” images on one phone were “consistent with the September 13 2024 arrest of [Allen]… for sexually battering [a] female child.”

Allen was arrested on a warrant for sexual battery on September 13 at the Circle K at 3525 SW 34th Street. At the time of his arrest, officers reportedly found over 85 grams of marijuana in his vehicle, packaged for sale.

Allen is currently being held on charges of sexual battery on a victim under 12, lewd/lascivious molestation of a victim under 12, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and 12 counts of possessing images of a sexual performance by a child.

Allen has one misdemeanor conviction on a drug charge. Judge James Colaw granted a motion by a State Attorney’s office to hold Allen without bail until trial on the sexual battery charges; Judge Kristine Van Vorst set bail on the drug charge at $20,000; and Judge Robert Groeb set bail at $1.2 million on the child pornography charges.

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.