Man Wanted For 865 Counts Of Child Sex Assault Allegedly Groomed Victim From Age 5

A Pennsylvania man wanted for a whopping 865 counts of child sexual assault for his alleged repeated abuse of a young boy was found living at a Florida homeless shelter after he allegedly fled his home state to dodge punishment.

Garrick Landon Bloom, 46, was arrested in Tallahassee around 11 a.m. Thursday after U.S. Marshals found him at a homeless shelter, where he had been staying for at least two days, according to WCTV in Tallahassee.

Bloom had been wanted in Shippenville, Pa., for allegedly grooming a boy for years before repeatedly abusing him. The grooming is believed to have started when the child was just 5 years old. The warrants for those charges were signed in mid-January, but Bloom fled the state before he was ever arrested, according to WCTV.

The 865 counts include 216 counts of rape of a child, 216 counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, 216 aggravated indecent assault of a child, 216 statutory sexual assault and a single count of endangering the welfare of a child.

The victim told investigators he was forced to perform oral sex on Bloom multiple times, according to a criminal complaint cited by Pennsylvania outlet ExploreClarion.com

Bloom’s relationship with the victim has not been disclosed.

Garrick Landon Bloom is accused of 865 child sex counts. Photo: U.S. Marshals, Leon County Sheriff's Office

U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force Deputy Commander Marty West told the Tallahassee Democrat that there were often children around the area where Bloom was found.

“That’s a high traffic area for children getting off school buses,” he said. “Having a predator like that hanging around Tallahassee, it would have only been a matter of time.”

Bloom is now awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania. He can face over 15,000 years in prison if convicted, according to WSB, an Atlanta radio station.

[Photo: U.S. Marshals, Leon County Sheriff's Office]