Serial sex offender accused of exposing himself to women, kids in Winter Haven: ‘This ain’t his first rodeo’
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Law enforcement officers are searching for additional victims after they arrested a registered sex offender for exposing himself to women and children in Winter Haven.
Robert Miranda, 42, of Titusville, spent his birthday in the Polk County Jail on multiple felony charges including three counts of failing to register as a sex offender, one count of attempted kidnapping, one count of lewd and lascivious exhibition by a person over 18 and one count of indecent exposure.
"It’s rare that you see a serial sex offender, but we had one among us," stated Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd during a press conference on Friday morning.
According to the sheriff, the investigation into Miranda began on February 16.
Judd said a 30-year-old woman and her 60-year-old mother were visiting Winter Haven while on vacation from North Carolina when they called the police on Miranda.
"They saw more than they wanted. They are literally standing and admiring Winter Haven, when this guy pulls up in a gray Mitsubishi Outlander and masturbates in their presence," Judd shared.
He said the women tried to get a license tag, but his vehicle did not have one.
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A week later, at 7:20 a.m., Judd said Miranda pulled up to a 9-year-old girl just outside Winter Haven city limits and asked if she had lost a dog. He told her he had a puppy in the car and told her to look at it. The girl ran away, and the police were called.
Paulina is a mother of two kids who use the bus stop there. She said she saw a young girl and woman standing near a white car.
"She told me the girl was very scared. A man in a gray car got close to her and offered her candies and -- to get her attention. The girl shouted and got away from the car," said Paulina, a mother of two kids who use the bus stop in that area who said she saw a young girl and woman standing near a white car around 7:20 a.m. "In that moment, I did feel very scared. Children are untouchable and a treasure. We always have to take care of them."
A few minutes later, at 7:40 a.m., according to Judd, Miranda drove up to a 12-year-old in Winter Haven and started masturbating in their presence. Police were called again.
"We knew immediately that we were dealing with a deviant. A dangerous deviant. Between the police department and the sheriff’s office, we had more than 100 detectives working on this case," Judd said.
Judd said in each incident Miranda was wearing all black clothing, including a black mask.
Robert Miranda mugshot courtesy of the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators began scouring through video and eventually found a tag number on the Outlander Miranda was seen driving.
The tag number led detectives to Miranda’s mother, who said her son had been living in Lake Alfred and driving the Outlander. She told detectives that she purchased it for him to drive and he was insured. She also told detectives that her son is a registered sex offender.
She went on to say the family owns a used car auto auction, and her son is an auctioneer who spends time all over the state looking for cars to purchase.
Detectives found him in Titusville.
"We found a guy on the other side of the state who was an imminent danger to the children of Polk County," Judd said.
He was arrested on March 1 in Brevard County and taken to Polk County on March 6, his birthday.
"That was only part of his birthday present, was to visit Grady Town. The other part of his present was, in addition to sex offender charges, we charged him with attempted kidnapping and behavior conduct," Grady stated.
While searching his home and vehicle, detectives say they found black masks.
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According to PCSO, Miranda has been a registered sex offender since 2000, when he was 17, due to a conviction in Brevard County for lewd and lascivious battery on a victim between 12–15 years old. He has registered two vehicles with the state per the FDLE requirements – a red Suzuki motorcycle and a red Alfa Romero, and his Titusville address.
"I feel happy this guy was caught finally," said Paulina. "The kids shouldn't feel scared while they're walking in the street."
Since Miranda had access to many vehicles through his family’s auction house, law enforcement officers believe he may have been committing similar crimes throughout the state in different vehicles.
"This ain’t his first rodeo. There are other victims out there," Judd said.
Judd stated that his goal is to have Miranda locked up for the rest of his life.
"We need to charge him with everything he’s ever done. If he gets out again, he’ll be after your kids again and that’s guaranteed because that’s who he is," Judd said.
Miranda has a criminal history of cocaine abuse and bounced back and forth between Brevard County and Polk County and several other counties. He would get probation here and there, but he has never been to state prison.
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