Eustis

UMATILLA, Fla.—A 29-year-old man who has ties to Eustis and Umatilla is in the Lake County Jail on no bond accused of multiple sex crimes against children.

Arsenio Quinones, who lives in Umatilla, but has a Eustis mailing address, was arrested by a Lake County Sheriff’s detective Thursday after agreeing to meet with the detective at a home in Umatilla and admitting he committed sex crimes against two separate juvenile victims, according to a heavily redacted arrest affidavit.

Both victims’ names, ages and addresses are redacted from the affidavit to protect their identities.

In October 2023, victim one reported Quinones had touched her in a sexual manner at least six years ago and she had text messages between her and Quinones proving her allegations. She showed law enforcement the messages where she asked Quinones why he had manipulated her into doing sexual things with him. He reportedly responded, “There’s no reason or excuse…I’m telling you this stays in my head about wtf happened. I don’t just live myself forgetting and leaving it in the past…I hate who I was and I wish I can either end it or do whatever it is I need to do to make it better. I know you don’t care about me and what I have to say. But I am genuinely sorry for putting you through that and destroying any time of image you have of me and life. You didn’t deserve it and shouldn’t have been taught…”

The victim told her family what allegedly happened, and she gave a second victim a case number to contact law enforcement. Victim one told the detective there may have been a witness to the abuse of victim two.

Victim one was contacted at a “later date” by an LCSO detective, and she described the abuse in detail; Inside Lake is not including the details in this story, due to their graphic nature.

Victim one made a controlled phone to Quinones Wednesday, and she confronted him about the abuse she said lasted four to five years. Quinones apologized multiple times and victim one mentioned victim two and Quinones reportedly stated the abuse was “not forced.” A controlled phone call is an arranged call made between a victim and a suspect, monitored and recorded by law enforcement.

Victim two told the detective two different abuse incidents occurred at two different homes, and the first incident occurred in either 2016 or 2017. She said Quinones asked her if she would be his girlfriend and then touched over and under her clothes. During the second abuse incident, Quinones took the abuse much further, she told the detective in detail.

Following the interviews with both victims and the controlled phone call, the LCSO detective went to the home of Quiniones’ mother and gave his number to her so Quinones could contact him. He called the detective a brief time later, and the detective went to a home in Umatilla to speak with him in person and, according to the affidavit, Quinones told the detective victim one was curious, so they engaged in sexual activity. He said he did not think it happened as much as victim one said it did, but she “may have been correct.”

Quinones then admitted to sexual activity with victim two, and said he did not force either victim. Quinones was arrested for two counts each of sexual battery on a victim under 12 and lewd or lascivious battery, victim 12 to under 16: three counts of lewd or lascivious molestation on a victim 12 to under 16, sexual battery on a victim 12 to under 18 and lewd or lascivious molestation, victim under 12. He was transported to the LCJ, where he remains on no bond.