SARASOTA, Fla. – Florida State Attorney Ed Brodsky announced on Wednesday, March 25, 2026, that Ednaldo Souza De Almeida has been sentenced to 50 years in prison following a pre-trial plea to multiple counts of child molestation. The 46-year-old defendant appeared before the Honorable Thomas W. Krug at the Sarasota County Courthouse to face charges stemming from a three-year period of abuse investigated by the Sarasota Police Department.
De Almeida pleaded guilty to the following charges:
- Four counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation by a Person 18 or Older upon a Child Less than 12.
- One count of Lewd or Lascivious Conduct (Solicitation) upon a Child Less than 16.
Disclosure and Investigation
The case broke on July 14, 2024, when Sarasota Police responded to a sexual battery call. Detectives learned that De Almeida had molested a 10-year-old girl, who was a friend of a family member, while relatives had gathered at his home to plan a camping trip.
The victim’s disclosure gave a second child—a family member of the defendant—the courage to reveal years of ongoing abuse that had begun when she was just 5 years old. Investigators discovered that De Almeida had systematically silenced the second victim through extreme coercion, threatening to kill her mother and brothers and leave her financially destitute if she ever spoke out.
Sentence and Supervision
Judge Krug imposed a significant sentence reflecting the gravity of the crimes and the predatory nature of the defendant:
- Counts 1–4: 50 years in prison (exceeding the 25-year mandatory minimum).
- Count 5: 15 years in prison.
- Designation: De Almeida was officially designated a Sexual Predator.
- Post-Release: Following his incarceration, he will be placed on lifetime sex offender probation with a strict “no contact” order regarding the victims.
Statements from the Prosecution
Assistant State Attorneys Lissa MacDonald and Ethan Dunn praised the victims for their resilience during the proceedings.
“The two young children demonstrated great bravery and strength by disclosing what they suffered at the Defendant’s hands,” the prosecutors stated. “Their bravery, along with the diligent investigation efforts of the Sarasota Police Department, empowered these girls to protect countless other children from this sexual predator.”