Man charged with sexual battery of two young girls

CRESTVIEW — A Baker man was arrested Wednesday and charged with sexual battery of two young girls.

Douglas Lundy Harlson, 68, molested the children at his home in Baker on several occasions since 1998, according to an arrest report from the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office.

Harlson began fondling one of the girls in 1998 when she was 5 years old, the report said. Over the next four years, he fondled her 10 to 15 times when she came to his house.

In 2006, Harlson began fondling a second child when she was 9 years old, according to the report.

He took the girl into a workshop on his property, shut the door to prevent her from getting out and forced her to perform oral sex, the report said.

In July 2007, Harlson suffered a stroke and was restricted to a wheelchair, but continued asking the girl to perform sexual favors, according to the report.

In January 2012, he began harassing the girl again and she told her mother about it, the report said.

Her mother confronted Harlson and told him he had a "sick mind," according to the report. He said he was sorry, but it was because of the stroke.

Harlson was charged with two counts of sexual battery of a child under the age of 12. He was being held without bond Thursday in the Okaloosa County Jail.