Man charged with sexually abusing child while on vacation in Central Florida

A man is accused of sexually abusing a child during a family vacation at Disney and Orlando resorts in Central Florida.

68-year-old Michael James Geary was arrested earlier this year in a home in Arlington, Virginia and handed over to Orange district Prison in Florida.

Geary was charged with sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12 and two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation, both felonies.

The suspect will appear in court in Orlando for arraignment on July 10.

According to the documents, the now adult 32-year-old victim reported multiple incidents of sexual assault during “family vacations” at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando from 2001 to 2003. The allegations were reported to authorities in January. There is evidence that certain incidents occurred at Disney’s Old Key West Resort and Universal’s Hard Rock Hotel.

According to court documents Orange district Investigators from the sheriff’s sex crimes unit coordinated controlled calls with the suspect, during which he reportedly admitted to “hugging” and said the victim was “not a liar.” He apparently called his actions “horrific” but said the acts were “solely” directed at the one victim.

The victim claimed she was abused by Geary between the ages of ten and twenty.

The Orange district The sheriff’s office is focusing on the specific assaults that occurred in Central Florida at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, not those in Virginia. If convicted of the charges in Central Florida, Geary could face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.