TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Tampa Teen Charged In Library, Day Care Rapes
Tribune photo by JAY CONNER
Kendrick Morris, shown in court Thursday with his mother, Lisa Debra Stevens, is charged in two rapes.
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Published: May 13, 2008
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TAMPA - Prosecutors today filed nine adult charges against a 16-year-old accused of two rapes, Assistant State Attorney Pam Bondi said.
Kendrick Morris soon will be moved from the Juvenile Assessment Center to one of the two Hillsborough County jails.
Prosecutors had 21 days after Morris' arrest to charge him as an adult. The deadline would have expired on Friday. Bondi previously said prosecutors had planned to charge Morris as an adult since his arrest but were working carefully.
The charges relate to two cases, the April 24 rape of an 18-year-old at Bloomingdale Regional Public Library and the rape of a day care worker on June 28.
Authorities say Morris, a Bloomingdale High School freshman, was at the library to wait for his mother to get off work. The 18-year-old woman was returning books. Hillsborough County sheriff's detectives say he beat the girl unconscious.
Morris faces charges of kidnapping, aggravated battery with great bodily harm and two counts of sexual battery with injury.
After his arrest, DNA linked him to the rape of a worker at Children's Lighthouse Day Care Center, prosecutors said. In that case, he faces charges of armed burglary, armed robbery, attempted sexual battery and two counts of sexual battery.
If convicted, he faces up to life in prison, Bondi said.
Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( ocean90 ) on May 13, 2008 at 6:59 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I'm sure he'll get his share of rapes in jail
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Posted by ( Jabarten ) on May 13, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
A classic case....
Why people who start on animals eventually start on humans. Hence why we need felony animal abuse/cruelty charges in the first place....
For those of you who were not aware, this kid started on ducks, and eventually on humans. No joke. We need to be vigilant of this type of behaviour....but, just my views....
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Posted by ( joeyg ) on May 13, 2008 at 7:49 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I wrote something and then took the liberty of deleting it, saving TBO some payroll.
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Posted by ( packrat666 ) on May 13, 2008 at 7:50 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Put him in the cell with the other honor student who raped the girl on the bus.
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Posted by ( RingMyBell ) on May 13, 2008 at 7:52 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
This is good news, today, and I'm happy for the charge, finally, for the day care rape. One more step towards justice for those two women so brutally harmed, and for their families for their grief. And one more vicious, dangerous, predatory criminal off the streets for the rest of us, hopefully forever.
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Posted by ( brobeth1 ) on May 13, 2008 at 7:53 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Let the crying begin! He's going to cry and yell just like a little bi@tc#!
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Posted by ( misticleansfla ) on May 13, 2008 at 8:23 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I still say surgeicly alter his lower half to be female and toss this POS in general population with all the guys
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Posted by ( ToTheBeachWeGo ) on May 13, 2008 at 8:32 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Does anybody know how the victim is doing?
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Posted by ( Lunatic_Fringe ) on May 13, 2008 at 8:52 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Gee Momma, they filed nine felony charges against your misunderstood, good boy. How dare they!!! I am sure they will come to their senses after you talk to them. Good luck.
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Posted by ( dakota ) on May 13, 2008 at 9:02 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Agree with you 'ToTheBeachWeGo'. HOW IS THE VICTIM DOING? Anyone else care? As far as that rapist and woman beater goes, ropes can be used over and over again. A good strong short rope is about 50 dollars. Where is Judge Roy Bean? That guy would already be gone.
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Posted by ( Old_FL_Crab ) on May 13, 2008 at 9:34 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Yo TBO, like "ToTheBeach" asked, How about a follow up on girls condition.
I've heard rumors that aren't good. How 'bout some facts???
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Posted by ( MamaMagic ) on May 13, 2008 at 11:39 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Yes, TBO----can we get an update on the victim's progress, please?? Several posters over the past week or so have asked, as well.
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Posted by ( mr_hanky ) on May 14, 2008 at 12:05 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
We already know how poor little Kendrick and his momma are doing - how about some info about his victim? I still pray that she will pull through. Mr Morris there needs to be put in General Population to find out what it feels like to be victimized.
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Posted by ( mbrown3 ) on May 14, 2008 at 1:53 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I gaurantee these two rapes aren't the only crimes he's guilty of, just the ones he was caught for. What a pos, good job mom. How many more do you have at home like him?
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Posted by ( Publius ) on May 14, 2008 at 8:04 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I used to work in a prison, and I guarantee you that he will be someone's property within five minutes of his getting off the bus. Then, when his "owner" gets tired of him, he'll sell this little POS to another inmate for a carton of cigarettes. That's about all this slimeball is worth.
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Posted by ( Longball ) on May 14, 2008 at 9:10 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
The real sad part about all of this, is one day he is going to get released. Or maybe he could have one of those roll off the top bunk and accidentally hang himself mishaps or slip in the shower and choke on a bar of soap.
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Posted by ( RadsMD ) on May 14, 2008 at 10:39 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
People like this should have mandatory chemical or even surgical sterilization ordered by the state.
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Posted by ( Publius ) on May 14, 2008 at 10:47 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I just saw on the St. Pete Times website that the victim of this POS is still in critical condition. They said she suffered a front cranial fracture, fractured right orbital socket, and there were indications of sexual battery. He's a real peach of a kid, right? Come on, Mom, tell us how wonderful he is. Keep enabling this monster you "raised" by denying his culpability. Yes, the DNA evidence can clear people but it can also convict. Enjoy prison, slimeball.
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Posted by ( yvonnes_right ) on May 14, 2008 at 10:56 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I dont care how old or young he is. This stupid pig needs to be prison for the rest of his life. His mother new that he was screwed up 2 so some blame can go on her
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Posted by ( sharonnigels ) on May 14, 2008 at 11:44 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Most mothers only see their baby boy, has anyone checked to see if he had been abused as a child? I'll bet there was something of that sort in his past, not saying that is an excuse. Wrong behavior is always wrong and he does need to be punished for what he did, and his mother will be punished too for her wrong choices.
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Posted by ( LuckyLuke ) on May 14, 2008 at 12:20 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Yo Kendrick. Say hello to your cell mate, 'Big Al'.
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Posted by ( hippocritter ) on May 14, 2008 at 1:24 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
HANG'EM HIGH...
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Posted by ( scbrownsr ) on May 14, 2008 at 2:15 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I feel sorry for the young man, but he has to pay. My sympathy is for the life he coud have had rather than the life he chose. Life is all about decisions, and this kid made the wrong choice. Now he is going to pay for the rest of his life if that.
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Posted by ( ms_stpete ) on May 14, 2008 at 4:14 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
sharonnigels, Lisa Stevens was arrested by the HCSO on 4/26/2008 for aggravated child abuse.
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Posted by ( Dawg_In_Tampa ) on May 14, 2008 at 5:07 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
ToTheBeachWeGo - I just spoke with our Neighborhood Watch deputy at a meeting yesterday. He told us that the 18 year old girl is still unconscious. She's slipping in and out, and still in very bad shape. He told us that about a week ago, she took a turn for the worse and almost died. She's "better" now, but still a long way from recovering.
The good news is, he informed us that this POS kid is basically done. The case they have against him is iron clad.
Not that that helps the young ladies who were victimized, but...
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Posted by ( secretroses ) on May 14, 2008 at 5:28 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I feel so sorry for the victims of these crimes, but I also feel sorry for this kid. Something is wrong with him, and he needs some help and compassion not for this entire society to want him tortured for the rest of his life!
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Posted by ( Dawg_In_Tampa ) on May 14, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
secretroses - It's hard to feel compassion for this kid when you consider what he did to these young women. They are the ones who deserve the compassion. Not this POS. Granted - He is the product of a "broken home", no father in his life, a criminal moron for a mother, blah blah blah. As I've stated earlier: This kid was doomed from conception. But you know what? No one will ever convince me that; despite his horrendous upbringing; that he didn't know what he was doing was wrong. And for that reason alone, he deserves to be thrown UNDER the jail!
Is it a sad commentary on the poor parenting skills of some people that a 16 year old kid is capable of doing such terrible things? Absolutely. But does this "kid" now deserve our sympathy and compassion? No way...
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