Girl's cellphone video lands 75-year-old man in jail on molestation charges

BELLE GLADE, Fla. (CBS12) — Authorities say video from an eight-year-old girl's own cellphone helped put a 75-year-old married man from Belle Glade in handcuffs on molestation charges.

Amado Antonio Leonorellana faces a charge of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim under 12.

The investigation began in August when the little girl told detectives that Leonorellana touched her private parts. The girl stayed with Leonorellana and his wife while her mother worked. The girl said she took video of the inappropriate activity. According to the arrest report, the suspect told the girl to delete the video but she didn't. She said she only stopped recording and he continued to touch her.

According to investigators, the girl's mom found the video. She packed up their belongings and moved to Miami where she called police. The girl said she didn't tell her mom about the inappropriate behavior because "she was afraid her mom would be mad," wrote detectives in the report.

When investigators questioned Leonorellana, he initially denied the accusations. A detective then showed him a still image from the video. He then admitted to being the man in the photo, and to touching the girl on one occasion. He called it an accident. According to the arrest report, Leonorellana said he'll apologize to the girl if given the opportunity.

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Leonorellana remains at the Palm Beach County Jail. A judge set his bond at $75,000. He's not allowed to contact the victim, her mother, and be around anyone under the age of 18.