Man accused of drugging, raping teen who later died

A 58-year-old man was arrested in Lake County on Tuesday, accused of drugging and raping a 15-year-old autistic boy in 2017 — who later died, in part due to the drugs in his system, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Alain Forget, who the FDLE said lives in Lakeland and has a home in Sorrento, faces charges of lewd and lascivious battery on a child less than 16 and delivery of a controlled substance to a minor.

In a statement, the FDLE said Forget took the boy to a home in Hamilton County, which had belonged to Forget’s dead father, on Dec. 27, 2017.

Forget had the permission of the teen’s grandmother to take him to Hamilton County, the FDLE said. The victim was not identified in the statement and any relationship between Forget and the boy’s family was not made clear.

Two days after they arrived at the home, Forget called for an ambulance after the boy became unresponsive. The child was pronounced dead later at a local hospital.

An autopsy in January 2018 revealed the teen had morphine and Xanax in his system when he died, the FDLE said.

His cause of death was deemed to be pneumonia and drug toxicity, the agency said.

“Agents believe Forget gave the child drugs and sexually battered him prior to his death,” the FDLE said in its press release Tuesday. “During interviews, additional sexual abuse allegations were made against Forget.”

The agency said it is still investigating Forget, who may face additional charges.

Court records show Forget was has been accused of abusing children before.

In 1995, he was sentenced in Orange County to three years in state prison for violating his probation on charges of indecent assault on a child under 16, Florida Department of Corrections records show.

In 2001, he was arrested again in Polk County on charges of lewd or lascivious molestation and indecent acts against a victim between 12 and 16, court records show.

He later pleaded no contest to a single count in a plea deal and was sentenced to one year behind bars.

Agents are concerned Forget may have more victims and are asking anyone with information to call the FDLE’s Live Oak Field Office at (800) 226-5630.