Mary Esther man, sexual predator, gets life in prison for sexual battery

OKALOOSA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — A Mary Esther, Florida man was sentenced to life in prison after he was found guilty of sexual battery of a child, according to a press release from the Florida State Attorney.

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Circuit Court Judge Terrance Ketchel sentenced 45-year-old Barry Joseph Gasmen of Mary Esther, Florida, to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Tuesday.

The designated sexual predator was found guilty by a jury for the sexual battery of a child under the age of 12 in November of 2021.

According to reports, the 11-year-old victim reported that she had been sexually battered while at the defendant’s home. Further investigations showed that the abuse had been going on for approximately two years.

The victim was taken to the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center for a forensic and medical examination, and officials say the analysis of the kit revealed DNA evidence that supported the charges against Gasmen.

The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Emerald Coast Children’s Advocacy Center conducted the investigation, according to the release.

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Assistant State Attorney Christine Bosau, prosecuted the case on behalf of Ginger Bowden Madden, State Attorney for the First Judicial Circuit of Florida.

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