Authorities say a Florida man has been charged with 1,200 counts of sexual assault and incest involving a minor.
The man has been identified as Robert Cota, 31, of Pensacola. He faces 600 counts of sexual assault on a victim between the ages of 12 and 18 and 600 counts of incest that allegedly occurred over six years, the New York Post reported.
A local pastor reported Cotabato to deputies, claiming he had approached him last Sunday, saying he “had issues with one of the beliefs” from the church guideline book.
Cota specifically pointed to the word “incest,” according to arresting documents.
The pastor advised the perp to report himself to authorities and provided Cota’s information to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim informed police that she had been having sexual encounters with Cota since she was seven years old, adding that he had told her it was the way to show affection.
Late last year, the victim’s mother confronted Cota about his history with her daughter. He then allegedly pointed a gun at the girl and was arrested for aggravated assault and domestic violence.
It was then authorities began investigating the sexual assault and incest allegations.
He is booked at the Escambia County Jail, where his bond has been set at $3,000,000.
