Louisiana State News by Evan Green, Crime and Justice Bureau Chief
In Louisiana, a man has been sentenced to prison for living in a girl's closet for over a month, sneaking out, and having sex with her as her parents were away.
Johnathan Rossmoine, 36, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to obscene communication and behavior with a minor in Hernando County District Court.
After hearing noises coming from their daughter's room, the parents of a 15-year-old girl discovered Rossmoine in their home. The pair met on VRChat, a virtual reality social platform.
She told the suspect at the time that she was 18 but confessed to Rossmoine before they met. A police report said that Rossmoine did not let the girl's age stand in his way.
Rossmoine traveled from Louisiana to Florida many times just to have sex with the girl. A police report states that the teen referred to the suspect as her boyfriend.
Rossmoine is sentenced to serve 10 years of supervised probation and must register as a sex offender following the completion of his prison term.
Here's how the local police informed the public.
UPDATE - Louisiana Man Arrested on Numerous Sex Charges Involving Teen
On 07-28-2021, Johnathan Rossmoine DOB/08-19-1984 entered a guilty plea in Hernando County District Court on charges of having sexual relations with a minor.
Rossmoine received a 15-year sentence with the Florida Department of Corrections.
Additionally, he will receive 10 years of Sex Offender Probation upon his release and be required to report as a sexual offender for the remainder of his life.
Original information
On 09-27-2020 at 4 p.m., Hernando County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a residence in Spring Hill where the parents of a teenager found an adult man hiding in their child’s bedroom.
When deputies arrived on the scene they found the man, later identified as Johnathan Lee Rossmoine DOB/08-19-1984, still hiding in the victim’s closet.
Rossmoine advised he drove from Louisiana to Spring Hill on several occasions to have sex with the victim. The suspect advised on this current trip he had been in Hernando County for about five weeks and had sex with the victim on numerous occasions.
The victim first met the suspect about two years ago while using an online chatting app. The app allows users to chat via text and voice using virtual avatars.
The victim referred to Rossmoine as a boyfriend. The victim indicated initially telling Rossmoine about being 18 before admitting prior to meeting in person to actually being 15.
The victim indicated Rossmoine had been living off and on in the teen’s bedroom since Aug. 19, 2020. The suspect would hide in the closet when the victim’s parents were home, only coming out when they left for work.
Rossmoine further advised numerous sexual encounters also occurred in his van, which was parked in proximity to the victim’s house.
Johnathan Rossmoine was charged as follows:
- Lewd and Lascivious Behavior with a Victim between the age of 12 and 16 – Four counts
- Obscene Communication, Travel to Meet After Use of Computer to Lure Child
His bond was set at $25,000.
The possibility of additional charges is pending further investigation.
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