Heard native accused of raping 11-year-old girl in Florida

(Pasco County, FL) — A Heard County native is currently behind bars without bond in Land O’lakes, Florida after being charged with raping an 11-year-old girl.

39-year-old Weldon Leenard Goss (current address Port Richey, FL) was taken into custody by authorities with the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office in December after the issuance of an arrest warrant in the spring of 2018.

Weldon Leenard Goss (Photo: PCSO)

The rape is alleged to have taken place on December 9, 2017.

According to deputies, Goss knew the girl, but no other details about the case have been made public. He also faces a misdemeanor charge of failure to pay child support.

Goss is officially charged with Sexual Battery Rape of a Victim Younger than 12 by an Offender over 18 (Florida Code 794.011.2A).

Rape is one of the most aggressively prosecuted crimes in Florida and carries some of the most severe and long-lasting penalties of any criminal offense.

If convicted of the Capital Felony, Goss faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole.