Haines City Man Charged With Kidnapping, Raping A 16-Year-Old Girl He Met Online

A man in Haines City, Florida is behind bars for allegedly kidnapping and raping a 16-year-old girl he met online. ABC Action News reports that Travis Burton told police that he contacted the teen, whose name has not been released, online and told her that he would give her $300 in exchange for sex. He said she agreed.

On Saturday morning, Burton, 30, purportedly waited for the teen at a vacant house in Davenport. When she arrived, he told officials that they got into a disagreement about the money. Sometime later, he punched her in the face multiple times before cutting off her underwear and raping her four times, police say.

The victim told police that Burton put a knife to her throat and wrapped a dog leash around her neck.

Afterward, Burton placed the victim in a truck and drove until he got stuck in an orange grove, where authorities say he raped her again before fleeing the scene and leaving her behind.

Officers were able to locate the victim inside the truck after her suspected pimp, Miguel “Angel” Ramirez, called 911. WFLA reports that he started to worry about her when she failed to return home.

Burton was later arrested and charged with sexual battery on a minor, kidnapping, burglary, aggravated child abuse, and soliciting for prostitution.

While in custody, Burton told police that when the teen arrived at the home, things got “a little rough” when she refused to leave after their disagreement over the amount of money he was supposed to give her.

Polk County Police officers also arrested Ramirez for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. An affidavit states that he dropped the teen off at the home, where Burton was waiting, to do illegal drugs.

Ramirez told police that she called and asked for a ride to a friends’ house to “smoke a joint.” Shortly after dropping her off, he stated that she contacted him and asked for help, that’s when he returned to the home.

He added that he has known the victim and her family for a couple of years. Ramirez went on to say that she is in foster care and she is not allowed to be around her biological mother.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said, “I’m not convinced at all that we weren’t going to have a murder had it not been for our deputies. It’s just by the grace of God she’s not dead right now.”