Edward Leviness, a Port St. Lucie man, accused of touching new 17-year-old employee

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A 65-year-old man accused Tuesday of inappropriately touching a 17-year-old newly hired employee at a business on Southeast Port St. Lucie Boulevard was arrested on a battery charge, according to a police report released Wednesday.

Edward Leviness, of the 400 block of Southeast Verada Avenue in Port St. Lucie, was arrested about 4 p.m. Tuesday after the 17-year-old girl said Leviness started an inappropriate conversation and started rubbing her outer thighs. The 17-year-old girl said she ran home and told her mother and called police.

According to statements in the report, the 17-year-old girl just started her employment at American Insurance and Investments in the 700 block of Southeast Port St. Lucie Boulevard.

The teen told Port St. Lucie police that she and Leviness, her boss, were sitting and facing each other in the office when Leviness began asking sex- and undergarment-related questions.

She said he began rubbing her knees and asked her to stand up and close her eyes. She said he began rubbing her outer thighs. When she felt his breath on her face she opened her eyes and ran out the front door and ran home.

She told police Leviness knew her age, saying he made a photocopy of her driver's license a day earlier for employment.

"I then asked why she didn't say no or stop him as he was being forward with her and she advised that she was too scared and that she really wanted the job," the report states.

Leviness told police he rubbed the girl's leg, but it wasn't in a sexual manner. He said he gave her a hug and drove her home. He said he didn't say anything sexual.

"I then asked Edward if he told her to close her eyes and stand up and he stated he couldn't remember," the report states.

When police asked whether it was common for Leviness to hug new employees, Leviness said, "It just happened, I don't know who started hugging who first."

Leviness said he made a copy of the girl's driver's license but appeared surprised when police told him she was 17.

Leviness was arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge.