A 36-year-old man from Clearwater, Robert Rouse, is facing serious criminal charges after police say he lured a young girl into his home by promising she could pet his ferrets. Investigators believe there may be more victims involved in this disturbing case
The Clearwater Police Department began looking into Rouse in December after receiving a call from the parent of a young victim. The parent expressed concerns about their child’s interaction with Rouse. According to police, Rouse had invited the child and another minor into his home under the pretense of letting them play with his ferrets.
Police Chief Eric Gandy explained, “The victim and another child had been in his house under the guise of going to pet his ferrets.” However, once inside, the situation took a dark turn.
According to an arrest affidavit, a young girl told investigators that Rouse invited her into his home on Brookside Drive to pet his ferrets. Once she was inside, Rouse allegedly grabbed her buttocks, picked her up, and threw her onto his bed. The girl managed to escape and reported the incident.
As police continued their investigation, they received a tip from another law enforcement agency. Chief Gandy said, “They called us saying, ‘Hey, we have something you may want to take a look at.’”
The investigation uncovered that Rouse had been communicating with someone online about his plans to lure children to his home for inappropriate purposes. Shockingly, the person he was talking to was actually a federal agent. Rouse reportedly bragged about his actions and seemed to enjoy discussing his behavior.
“He was bragging about it and really enjoying discussing that behavior, saying things like, ‘Look what I accomplished,’” Gandy said.
Rouse also admitted to another incident where he allowed a girl to hold his ferret while standing in his driveway and then touched her inappropriately. Police described his behavior as “creepy and weird,” especially since he believed he was talking to someone who shared his disturbing interests.
Chief Gandy emphasized that Rouse’s tactics are similar to those parents often warn their children about. “This is the kind of thing that really scares every parent,” he said. “It’s like the classic scenario of a guy in a van saying, ‘Come pet my puppy.’”
Gandy urged families to remain vigilant and educate their children about the dangers of interacting with strangers, even if the situation seems harmless at first.
Police are continuing their investigation to determine if there are more victims. Rouse is currently in jail, and authorities hope to gather additional evidence to ensure he remains behind bars.
“He’s where he needs to be at this point,” Gandy said. “He’s in jail, and my hope is that, unfortunately, we find more evidence that keeps him there.”
Rouse is facing two counts of lewd and lascivious molestation of a victim under 12 years old. Court records show he is being held on a $300,000 bond.
