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Pinellas Man Charged With Raping Mentally Challenged Girl

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 30, 2008

Updated: 12/30/2008 11:50 am

Michael Diffenderfer

LARGO - An unemployed man was arrested Monday evening on charges he raped a mentally challenged girl earlier in the day.

Michael A. Diffenderfer, 55, was charged with one count of sexual battery. He was being held this morning at the Pinellas County Jail on $100,000 bail.

Diffenderfer knew the girl was mentally challenged and "incapable of appraising the nature of her conduct," according to an arrest affidavit.

The 17-year-old girl is an acquaintance of Diffenderfer, and the two live in the same neighborhood in unincorporated Clearwater, said Pinellas Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Bordner.

She went missing at about 8 a.m. Monday but wasn't reported as such by her family until 11:45 a.m., Bordner said. Patrol deputies searched the area and stopped by Diffenderfer's house as part of the search, but he denied having seen her, Bordner said.

The girl soon returned home and said she had sex with Diffenderfer, Bordner said. Though the sex may have been consensual, the charge is sexual battery since the victim was incapable of judging her actions and Diffenderfer knew it, Bordner said.

Diffenderfer is accused of sexually assaulting the girl twice at about 9 a.m. Monday, or about an hour after she vanished, and less than three hours before her family reported her missing, the affidavit says.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.

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