14-Year-Old Girl Secretly Records Stepdad Molesting Her; Man Arrested

A 61-year-old man ended up in jail after being accused of molesting his 14-year-old stepdaughter in Florida. The victim captured the abuse on her cellphone camera, which she hid inside her bedroom, officials said.

James Edwin Harris, who owns a restaurant at Flagler Beach, was arrested Friday and charged with two counts of molesting an underage girl, reports WESH.

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) said they were alerted about a possible sex crime at a Palm Coast home Thursday. The officers met with the victim's father, who reported that his teenage daughter was being molested by her stepfather.

He alleged that Harris came into the girl’s room naked and started to pleasure himself while she was lying in bed, pretending to be asleep. According to the victim, she captured the incident on her cellphone.

Police reviewed the video, which confirmed the victim's account of events. The footage also showed Harris clicking pictures of the girl on his mobile phone, inside her bedroom, the sheriff's office said.

A warrant was immediately obtained for Harris’ arrest. He was taken into custody Thursday night and arrested the next day. Police have confiscated his phone, which will be subjected to forensic analysis as part of the investigation.

Reports said the girl was under Harris’ custodial authority, and he had repeatedly tried to molest her over the last many years.

Though detectives investigating child abuse cases take weeks and months before making an arrest as such cases are difficult to build, the presence of video, in this case, led to the immediate arrest of the accused, Flagler Live reported.

"I want to commend the victim for not only coming forward but also for turning the tables on her abuser by capturing him committing the offense," Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly told WESH.

"This man was a trusted figure in his victim’s life. In my opinion, this disgusting pervert lost the right to be called a stepfather and is now in jail where he belongs. I’m glad we were able to get him before he hurt his victim further," he added.

Harris is being held at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on no bond. His charges include Lewd and Lascivious Molestation of a Juvenile and Lewd and Lascivious Exhibition of a Juvenile.