Florida couple forced to register as sex offenders for having sex on public beach

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A Florida couple must now register as sex offenders after they were found guilty of having sex on a public beach last year.

Jose Caballero, 40, and Elissa Alvarez, 20, both were convicted on two counts each of lewd and lascivious behaviour, according to the Miami Herald. The trial lasted just a day and a half, and the jury deliberated for only 15 minutes before returning with a guilty verdict.

A video taken on Bradenton Beach on 20 July, 2014 that showed Alvarez gyrating on top of Caballero was shown in the court room and turned out to be the damning piece of evidence. Witnesses testified that a three-year-old saw the couple having sex. Below is a still image taken from the video.

The defence lawyers claimed that the couple was not having sex, but that Alvarez was dancing on top of Caballero to try and wake him up.

The sentencing phase is to follow and both face up to 15 years in prison. Prosecutors say they will pursue the maximum sentence for Caballero, as he has a previous cocaine conviction. They said they will seek a lighter sentence for Alvarez, who has no criminal record.

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