A Sarasota man has been convicted of molesting four pre-teen girls after providing them with drugs and alcohol.
Behzad Izadi, 59, allowed his daughter to have sleepovers at his home where he would encourage her friends to drink alcohol, smoke marijuana and take Xanax, according to the state attorney's office.
Izadi is accused of providing the girls with the substances. It happened "nearly every weekend for years," the state attorney's office said.
Prosecutors said when the girls would fall asleep, they would wake up to find Izadi molesting and sexually battering them. If one of the girls woke up, prosecutors said Izadi would claim to be "cleaning the room."
"All four of the young ladies in this case showed great courage in disclosing the abuse to law enforcement and testifying against their abuser," said Assistant State Attorney Brooke Kernan, who was the lead prosecutor in the case. "The victims in this case not only stood up for themselves, but they also helped protect other unsuspecting children then Defendant may have preyed on next."
Investigators say one girl reported the abuse to a therapist, and deputies were then able to identify other victims.
On Friday, Izadi was convicted of several felonies, including lewd or lascivious behavior, lewd or lascivious molestation, and contributing to the delinquency or dependency of a minor.
The trial lasted five days. Izadi is awaiting his sentence. He faces 25 years to life in prison.
- Florida inmate posts video of correctional officers beating another inmate
- Customer tells Puerto Rican woman to 'go back to her own country' after she spoke Spanish
Police officers shot at during Barry cleanup in Louisiana, chief says
- Deputies: Florida man stuck cocaine, crack, heroin and pills in his butt
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the 10News app now.
Have a news tip? Email desk@wtsp.com, or visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.
