Naples Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Child Abuse After Violent Attack on 9-Year-Old

A Naples man will spend the next five years in prison after a Collier County jury convicted him of violently abusing a child.

Michael William Pelton was sentenced to 60 months in state prison, the maximum penalty allowed for the charge, after jurors found him guilty of child abuse following a three-day trial in Collier County.

The case stems from an incident in March 2024 that prosecutors say involved a brutal attack on a 9-year-old child.

According to investigators, Pelton repeatedly slapped the child hard enough to knock out one of the boy’s teeth and also kicked him in the stomach during the altercation.

The assault was serious enough that the child fled the residence and ran for help.

Authorities say a witness initially called 911 after seeing a man yelling at a child outside an apartment complex.

The child then ran toward the guardhouse of a nearby gated community, where security staff noticed the boy shaking and visibly injured.

Deputies with the Collier County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and began investigating the disturbance.

During the investigation, authorities determined the physical assault had occurred earlier that day inside the residence.

The child was later evaluated and treated after the attack.

Prosecutors with the 20th Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office brought the case to trial in Collier County earlier this year.

After hearing testimony and reviewing evidence, jurors returned a guilty verdict for one count of child abuse.

Assistant State Attorneys Lawrence Raab and Jennifer Brown prosecuted the case.

Following the conviction, a judge imposed the maximum five-year prison sentence permitted under Florida law for the offense.

Officials with the State Attorney’s Office said the sentence reflects the seriousness of violence against children.

Cases involving abuse of minors are often prosecuted through specialized units focused on protecting vulnerable victims and holding offenders accountable.

For the young victim in this case, the ruling brings the criminal case to a close more than a year after the incident first unfolded.

But for the Naples man convicted of the attack, the consequences are only beginning — with five years now ahead of him inside Florida’s prison system.