LAKE PLACID – A registered sex offender, who has only been out of prison since January of 2018, is facing a return trip for a longer stay after being charged with raping a 13 year-old girl.

William Casey Sullivan, 39, was already in the Highlands County Jail when he was arrested on his new charges of sexual battery on a person ages 12-17 this afternoon (Nov. 20). The case stems back to April of 2018, when the victim said she had been raped inside her Lake Placid home.

The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office Special Victims unit investigated the case and sent evidence off to the state crime lab for DNA analysis. The results came back earlier this week and showed that Sullivan was the person who left DNA on the girl’s underwear. He could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted.

Sullivan was convicted in 2005 of lewd/lascivious conduct on a victim under 16, attempted lewd/lascivious conduct on a victim under 12, transfer or display of obscenity to a minor and two counts of possession of child pornography in Okeechobee County. Department of Corrections records show he was in prison from June of 2005 until June of 2008 and then again from September of 2008 until Jan. 1, 2018.

He didn’t stay out of trouble very long.

On July 2, 2019, the Special Victims Unit arrested Sullivan on charges of use of a computer to seduce a child, traveling to meet after using a computer to lure a child, unlawful sexual activity with a minor and unlawful use of a two-way communication device. A search warrant of his home that same day turned up methamphetamine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, leading to drug charges. He was also charged with tampering with evidence for trying to destroy a bag of marijuana during the search.

He has been in jail since then on a $205,000 bond.

Note: Not all arrests result in convictions. Everyone is considered innocent until proven guilty in court.