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Wilton Manors Police Arrest Sex Battery Suspect

WILTON MANORS (CBSMiami) -- The Wilton Manors Police Dept. has made an arrest in the sexual battery of two teenage girls at a shelter for abused and neglected children.

Police arrested Brian Denby as he disembarked from a cruise ship at Port Miami on Monday morning.

According to police, detectives received an anonymous tip from an acquaintance of Denby on Friday January 25th. The tipster told detectives that a couple of days after the January 7th crime, Denby confessed to assaulting the teens at the Kids In Distress property located at 819 NE 26th Street.

After identification was made, police discovered Denby was on a cruise ship that left Port Miami late Friday afternoon.  Detectives worked closely with Port Authorities and Customs Agents and on Monday when the ship docked, authorities took him into custody.

"They entered his cabin, he was completely surprised and surrendered without incident," said Sgt. Chuck Howard with the Wilton Manors Police Department.

Wilton Manors Police say Denby made a full confession to the crime, giving details that corroborated the statements made by the teen victims and witnesses.

"We don't know if he's done this before.  He has no criminal history," said Howard.

No one answered at Denby's Oakland Park apartment.  Neighbors describe Denby as friendly and nice and find it hard to believe the allegations.

"It's sickening if he did something like that, it's a heinous crime," said neighbor Tony Lester.

The head of Kids in Distress said they are looking at enhancing security and they've made a major change.

"We are now only accepting foster children 12 years and under," said Mark Dhooge, the CEO. "The girls this happened to have left."

He is charged with 3 Counts of Lewd & Lascivious Battery on a person 12-15 years old, and 2 Counts of Lewd or Lascivious Exhibition.

He's being held without bond.

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