Man facing death penalty agrees to life for sex battery of child

TAVARES — The man possibly facing the death penalty for sexual battery of a child pleaded guilty Friday in return for a life sentence without parole.

Joseph A. Giampa, 36, of Leesburg, was arrested on Nov. 2 and charged with six counts of sexual battery of a person younger than 12 and three counts of promoting the sexual performance of a child.

Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson decided to pursue the death penalty after the law was changed on Oct. 1 to include sex crimes against children. Before that, the death penalty was a possibility only in first-degree murder cases. Capital sexual battery on a child younger than 12 carried a mandatory life sentence.

This was the first case to apply Florida’s new law.

“Resolution in less than 100 days is proof that Florida’s capital punishment statute for sexual battery of children is effective,” Gladson said in a Friday press release. “By passing this law, the Florida Legislature and the governor have sent a message that Florida has zero tolerance for those who prey upon our most vulnerable and that the punishment will be certain, swift and severe.”

“In my 30 years of law enforcement, this is one of the worst cases of abuse to a child I’ve ever seen,” Lake Sheriff Peyton Grinnell told the Daily Commercial at the time the state announced is filing decision. “The state attorney has my full support in seeking the death penalty for this monster.”

A call to Lake County Sheriff’s deputies led deputies to a camper where they could see a laptop with Giampa abusing the victim who was wearing a “white dress, tube socks and bunny ears.”

Giampa could be seen in a portion of the video giving directions and abusing the child.

In January, according to court records, Giampa was charged with escape after he was taken to Advent Health Waterman Hospital for treatment of selfinflicted injuries at the county jail.

He reportedly struck medical workers and deputies and had to be subdued with a stun gun four times before he could be restrained. At one point he appeared to be reaching for a deputy’s handgun.

“Kill me,” he shouted, according to the court records. “Why don’t you just use your gun and kill me?”

Prosecutors later dropped charges in that case.

Assistant State Attorney Nicholas Camuccio and Katie Cosden successfully prosecuted the sexual battery case.

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