INTERLACHEN, Fla. — The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office reported that 29-year-old William Shannon Lee Merrill of Interlachen was arrested Wednesday on a slew of charges contributing to the abuse of a teenage girl.
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Detectives who responded to the initial case in November 2021 said the girl whom they spoke to described a relationship with Merrill over two years that became increasingly violent and abusive.
The victim told detectives that Merrill tattooed his initials and other symbols on her body, and that Merrill is accused of intentionally branding her on two occasions, leaving visible scars.
The victim also claimed that she was forced into sexual assault and trafficking over social media. The victim told detectives Merrill would contact her through social media channels, including Facebook Messenger.
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Detectives said they were told that Merrill sold pictures of the victim on social media and videos of them having sex. She began having sex with Merrill in 2020 when she was still a minor. She also claims that Merrill would have sex with another teenage girl often and make the victim hide in the closet when the girl was in his home.
Merrill reportedly made her stay with him and would get violently upset when she tried to go home, attend school or even go for medical appointments. The victim told detectives that she was forced to tell her parents that she was staying with someone else. She was finally able to escape in September 2021 after Merrill choked her multiple times, almost to the point of unconsciousness and pointed a gun at her.
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“This is a depraved individual who preys on children and their insecurities,” Sheriff H.D. “Gator” DeLoach said. “What this child endured is reprehensible, and her situation was becoming much more violent with a predator who did not care for her well-being as demonstrated by his actions. If she had not gotten away when she did, the outcome could have been much different. I also can’t stress enough how important it is for parents and guardians to monitor your child’s social media and know who is contacting them.”
Merrill has a prior arrest for interference in the custody of a minor, in a separate case involving a different child.
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The state attorney’s office pursued an arrest warrant in June, and Merrill was finally taken into custody Wednesday afternoon.
Merrill was charged with lewd, lascivious behavior on a victim 12 to 16 years old, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, cruelty toward a child, aggravated assault with a weapon, battery and three counts of tattooing a minor without guardian or parental consent. He was taken to Putnam County Jail and is being held on $150,000 bond.