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Publix worker accused of molesting disabled co-worker

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Apopka man is accused of inappropriately touching his mentally disabled co-worker at Publix, deputies said.

The suspect, 62-year-old John Utterback, was arrested on two charges of lewd and lascivious molestation of a disabled person.

According to an arrest report, he and the victim worked together at a Publix in Orange County.

The 22-year-old victim told investigators that Utterback touched her private parts when they were both on break.

The report said the victim told Utterback to stop, but he ignored her request and continued.

She told investigators he finally stopped when another employee came into the break room, but when the employee left the room, he touched her over her clothing again, the report said.

Officials said the victim's mother says she has the educational understanding of a second-grader and the mental capacity of an 8-year-old.

Utterback became a registered sex offender after he was convicted of a sex crime in 1999 after he was charged with sexually battering a victim under 12 years old.

Utterback's address is listed as a homeless shelter in Apopka.

He is being held at the Orange County Jail in lieu of a $160,000 bail.