Babysitter Convicted Of Raping 7-Year-Old Girl

KEY POINTS

The 22-year-old man was convicted of rape of a child and aggravated sexual battery following a four-day trial
He molested the 7-year-old girl when he was babysitting her on July 21 and 22 in 2019 at a home in Memphis
He is set to be sentenced in August

Memphis -- A 22-year-old man in Shelby County, Tennessee, was found guilty of raping a 7-year-old girl he was babysitting for family friends in 2019.

Travis Ruzicha, of Drummonds, was convicted of rape of a child and aggravated sexual battery following a four-day trial, Fox 13 reported. A jury deliberated on his case for 20 minutes Friday, according to Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich.

Ruzicha also had his bond revoked by criminal court judge Chris Craft.

Ruzicha molested the 7-year-old girl when he was babysitting her on July 21 and 22 in 2019 at a home in Memphis.

The mother of the victim was told by her daughter that Ruzicha had kissed her and touched her inappropriately on several occasions throughout the day and in different parts of the house, according to court documents.

Ruzicha is set to be sentenced on Aug. 12.

In related news, a Gainesville, Florida, attorney who was arrested last year on charges of the sexual assault of a person under 12 was disbarred by the state of Florida earlier this month, Miami Herald reported.

Michael Meadors, 69, is facing 22 felony counts after he recorded himself walking into a bedroom where the 8-year-old girl he was taking care of slept and molesting her on July 25 last year. He has been locked up in St. John’s County Jail since his July 2021 arrest.

Meadors, who was a family friend and the family lawyer, admitted to molesting the girl the next morning, according to an arrest report.

“I don’t know what’s the matter with me. I’m so sorry,” he during a call with investigators listening.

The report also included quotes from the 69-year-old lawyer saying he was "just touching" the child and that he was "guilty" and "did not do it every night."

Meadors said the girl told him to stop, but he would do it anyway.

As a result, Meadors was on the latest monthly attorney discipline report released by the Florida Bar. He applied for disciplinary revocation without leave for readmission and received it on April 28.

Disciplinary revocation is essentially disbarment. Usually, attorneys who apply for it do so with leave to reapply to the Florida Bar in five years.