85-year-old sex offender arrested after trying to buy girl for $100,000 at grocery store
Tom Fenton
Featured Image Credit: Port Orange Police Department/WESH2 News
A registered sex offender who allegedly attempted to buy a girl from her mother for $100,000 has been arrested.
According to the Port Orange Police Department in the US state of Florida, they have now detained 85-year-old Hellmuth Kolb following the incident, which took place at a Winn Dixie grocery store on 16 August.
Sharing news of the arrest on their official Facebook page, the force claimed that Kolb approached the mother and daughter as they were shopping, where he proceeded to offer money in exchange for the young girl.
On August 26, they wrote: “Hellmuth Kolb attempted to purchase a female minor child for $100,000, from her parent. Due to the parent’s clear concern that someone was insistent on attempting to purchase their daughter in a grocery store, we were notified."
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Authorities added that they were able to confirm with Kolb’s probation officer that the 85-year-old is currently on 'probation for similar issues', and had previously been warned by the courts to stay well away from minors.
“Mr. Kolb should have simply stuck to just grocery shopping,” the Port Orange Police Department wrote.
According to ABC affiliate Local 10 News, the OAP is currently being held at Volusia County Jail on a probation violation.
Lauren Benning, the mother of the underage girl, described the encounter to news station WESH last week.
Benning claims that Kolb 'just came up and he started making comments about how pretty she [her daughter] was and how good her dancing was and how he could never have children and he wanted children'.
In addition, Benning said she is now scared to go back to the grocery store after the 'terrifying' ordeal.
After first approaching the pair in the store, Kolb is said to have followed them out to the parking lot where he reportedly 'chased' them – before making his unwelcome offer.
According to Benning, he then said: “Hey, I want to make a deal with you. I’d like to buy her for $100,000."
Port Orange Police Department are currently appealing for help from anyone who might have had prior interactions with Kolb.
Writing on their Facebook page, the police force urged the public to come forward with 'any additional information that can be provided'.
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