Child services got call about possible abuse before 6-year-old died, Florida cops say
The guardian of a 6-year-old who died in February — following a report of possible abuse — is now charged with murder, Florida authorities said.
Tyrone Tillman Golson, 60, was already in jail on charges of child sex offenses, according to Jacksonville inmate records. On Aug. 14, he was additionally charged with second-degree murder, nearly six months after the girl was found unresponsive at home, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said.
McClatchy News reached out to Golson’s attorney and did not immediately receive a response Aug. 16.
On Feb. 18, officers arrived at the residence to find a man in a back bedroom performing CPR on a 6-year-old girl with glazed over eyes who “appeared to have no signs of life,” police wrote in an arrest affidavit obtained by McClatchy News.
Before the incident, the girl was put to bed, then when Golson later went to check on her, he found that she wasn’t breathing, according to police.
She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Detectives said the state’s Department of Children and Families received an anonymous call about the man possibly abusing the girl in January. At the time, Golson didn’t let DCF officials evaluate the girl “for any physical, mental or emotional injuries,” police said.
McClatchy News reached out to DCF for comment and did not immediately receive a response Aug. 16.
The sheriff’s office received four calls for service at the home in the first two months of 2024, prior to the girl’s death, records show.
The medical examiner determined the girl’s cause of death to be “multiple blunt trauma” and toxicity from diphenhydramine, an antihistamine used in allergy medications that can also cause drowsiness.
The medical examiner said the manner of death was homicide, according to the police report.
Police said they began an investigation into possible child sex crimes committed by Golson while conducting the death investigation.
On Feb. 23, he was arrested on three counts of unlawful sexual activity with certain minors, possession of photographs/sexual performance by a child, solicitation of a child via a computer to engage in sexual conduct and unlawful use of a two-way communication device, records show.
He’s pleaded not guilty to those charges.
This story was originally published August 16, 2024 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Child services got call about possible abuse before 6-year-old died, Florida cops say."