Booking image for Adalberto Badillo (Provided by Winter Haven Police Department)
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - A 28-year-old man was arrested after meeting a teen at her fast-food job and began having sex with her during her breaks, according to Winter Haven police.
Detectives said Adalberto Badillo first met the 17-year-old girl at her job where he was in the drive-thru lane. They said he gave her compliments.
"He asked for her social media information and the conversations started," according to a news release from the Winter Haven Police Department. "On multiple occasions, Badillo would visit the victim at the drive-thru and he would arrive at her scheduled breaks. She would get into his car and they would go to areas behind buildings where physical encounters such as kissing ultimately led to sexual encounters."
On Jan. 16, police said their sexual interactions moved to Badillo's home. They said the suspect drove the teen to his home on Salisbury Drive.
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Detectives said the victim's mother learned of the encounters from her daughter and confronted Badillo by calling him.
"She asked Badillo if he was aware her daughter was 17 years old," police wrote in the news release, "and he acknowledged that he was aware of her age, 'but he liked her.'"
Police said despite the phone call from the teen's mother, police said Badillo continued pursuing the victim. They said he purchased a Tracfone – which is a prepaid phone – for the victim to continue communicating.
They met on Jan. 26 and Jan. 27 in his vehicle – both times during the teen's breaks from her fast-food job. Detectives didn't specify where she worked.
Winter Haven detectives became aware of the sexual encounters, they didn't further explain in their news release how they were notified. They interviewed the victim and her mother.
During the interviews with the victim and her mother, detectives said they learned that Badillo instructed the teen to tell people they were "only friend" if anyone asked about their relationship. He also told her that if she mentioned him to law enforcement "it would ruin since he knew she was 17 years old and if she cared for him, she would tell law enforcement that they did not do anything."
Badillo was arrested on several charges including traveling to meet a minor for sexual conduct, tampering with a witness, and lewd battery.