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Sarasota man charged over 1990 sexual battery, child porn

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SARASOTA, Fla. — A 56-year-old man in Sarasota is in jail after his arrest for child pornography and capital sexual battery.

According to police, Randall Haus admitted to possessing child pornography images and sexually battering two young boys in 1990 and 1991.

Sarasota Police said the department was called by Venice Police to assist in a child pornography case. The case started when a nurse at a facility where Haus was staying in Venice called police to report suspected child porn.

Detectives said Haus admitted to having pornographic images on his table at the facility as well as at his home in Sarasota on numerous DVDs and a computer. During a search of the suspect's apartment, detectives found more than 1,000 DVDs and confirmed that several had images of either child or adult pornography.

While detectives with Sarasota Police interviewed Haus he admitted to the sexual battery incidents. Officials said they contacted one of the victims who is moving forward with charges of Capital Sexual Battery.

The victim told police he was 5-6 years old at the time of the abuse. Haus would have been 25.

According to an affidavit, the victim told police the abuse "happened frequently" and added that he tried to put the abuse behind him but said, "he can never forget."

Haus is charged with Capital Sexual Battery on a Victim under 12 and four county of Possession of Child Pornography.

It's unclear the type of facility where Haus was staying in Venice or why he was there.

According to police, Haus was involved in a child pornography investigation in Sarasota in 2012 that involved a Cybertip but he was not charged in that case.