Daytona Beach Shores, FL - A guitar instructor is now facing multiple charges after a police say he molested and forcibly kissed his 14-year-old student.
The Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety (DBSDPS) picked up 68-year-old David Benjamin on Tuesday (October 27th) after investigators learned of what happened at his Hawaiian Inn residence.
According to a report from police, the mother of the victim first met Benjamin after she was looking to purchase shelving for her plants four months prior. After meeting Benjamin, she and her daughter found out that he was a guitar instructor. She told police that her daughter already had a private instructor, but the group began to jam, which led to them picking Benjamin as her instructor.
Police say lessons took place at the victim's residence and Benjamin's residence—but, regardless of the location, the mother told police that she never left her daughter along with Benjamin during the lessons.
But, on September 26th, as the group was hanging out with Benjamin at his apartment's pool, he and her daughter got up to go grab water from Benjamin's unit. When they returned, the daughter told her mother that Benjamin forcibly kissed her, to which Benjamin reportedly replied "be quiet, it's no big deal." When the mother asked why Benjamin would try to do anything sexual with her daughter, he replied "she has been asking for it." The mother and daughter then left.
According to the daughter's account of the events, the two went up to Benjamin's units to grab waters, but before heading back down, the daughter stood out on the apartment's balcony as Benjamin used the bathroom. When Benjamin returned, he pressed his body against the victim's, grabbed the victim below her breasts and stroked her hair away from her neck while he said "you're so beautiful."
That's when the victim reportedly asked Benjamin what he was doing and said "this can't happen," to which Benjamin replied "ok, it won't happen again.
However, as the two of them went to leave the apartment, Benjamin moved in front of her and locked the front door. Benjamin then said "I've been thinking about this for a while now," before he grabbed the victim and forcibly kissed her. The victim additionally told police that she felt him trying to force his tongue into her mouth.
The victim again asked Benjamin to stop before the two left the apartment to head downstairs, which is where the confrontation happened.
Following an investigation by police, Benjamin was charged with lewd and lascivious molestation of a child and false imprisonment. Investigators say that Benjamin does own multiple residences in the area including an apartment at the Castaways Beach Resort.
"This young lady was extremely brave and should be proud of herself for having the courage to come forward," said Captain Michael Fowler with the DBSDPS in a prepared release. "The victim cooperated with the investigation and her bravery largely contributed to this arrest,"
Police believe that there could be other victims involved. If you have any reason to believe your child was in contact with Benjamin and may be a victim, the Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety urges you to contact authorities immediately.
At the time of this writing, Benjamin remains in custody with a $30,000 bond.
