Gainesville man found in High Springs with partially clothed girl, 12

A Gainesville man was arrested late Sunday night in High Springs after police found him in a car with a partially clothed 12-year-old girl.

Robert Brandon Bilus, 24, of 3801 SW 13th Street in Gainesville, was arrested and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, which is a misdemeanor.

According to the arrest report, a person called police at about 10:30 p.m. after observing a suspicious vehicle driving around the neighborhood and stopping behind a church.

Police stopped Bilus after observing a traffic infraction and found the young girl wearing no pants in the vehicle, according to the report.

Bilus and the girl knew each other's name but acted suspiciously and offered different accounts of where they were going, according to the report.

Bilus later told police that he had just met the girl online, but she had told him she was 16 years old, according to the report.

The girl said Bilus knew she was younger than that because her online profile listed a younger age, and she had informed him of her age during an online conversation, according to the report.

Bilus said he had picked the girl up without the permission of her parent, but the girl's guardian later told police that Bilus did have permission to take the girl, although the guardian did not know Bilus, according to the report.

The arresting officer wrote in the report that there was no evidence that a sexual crime had occurred, although there was an unused condom in the car.

Bilus was appointed a public defender and was released on bail.

With the assistance of the Gainesville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit, additional charges are expected as this investigation continues.

Officers are urging anyone with information about Bilus to contact the HSPD at 386-454-1415.