May 27, 2026
Lake Prosecutor Seeks Death Penalty in “Extremely Disturbing” Leesburg Child Rape Case
By Frank Stanfield
Lake Prosecutor Seeks Death Penalty in “Extremely Disturbing” Leesburg Child Rape Case
Calling the case “extremely disturbing,” State Attorney Bill Gladson said Wednesday he is seeking the death penalty for a man charged with repeatedly raping and even filming the abuse over three years, starting when the victim was just 10 years old.
“This kind of criminal depravity demands only one response from the state,” Gladson said referring to Schubert N. Macarat, 41.
The case could end up being used to challenge a Supreme Court ruling that overturned a Louisiana death sentence for similar circumstances, he said. Gov. Ron DeSantis, meanwhile, is signing a record number of death warrants for convicted murderers.
Photo by Frank Stanfield.
Deputies were called to a home in the Leesburg area on March 22 by an adult who said the child had confided in her.
Praising the girl’s courage and foresight, Gladson said the girl videotaped one of the encounters on a hidden cell phone for evidence.
Macarat also filmed the abuse, Gladson said.
“It’s particularly evil when you think about it. Why anybody would be in this position to do this in the first place is unspeakable, but the idea that anyone would record it…. It is unclear if there was an intent to sell it.”
That part is still under investigation.
State lawmakers and top Lake sheriff’s deputies lined up behind Gladson at the Wednesday morning press conference. Sheriff Peyton Grenell’s orders are to stand against evil, said Maj. Todd English.
“We like the work these people do here,” said House District 27 Rep. Richard Gentry. Sen. Keith Truenow, and State Rep. Nan Cobb and state Sen. Keith Truenow also appeared.
Gladson praised Detective Brian Eaton for his work, gathering a wealth of evidence, including sexual paraphernalia and watching 700 videos with thousands of images. It is difficult enough to watch one, Gladson said.
Schubert N. Macarat, 41
Macarat has been indicted on numerous charges, including 12 counts of sexual battery on a child younger than 12, which carries a mandatory life sentence if convicted. He is also charged with rape of a child from the age of 12 to 18, possession of child pornography, promoting sexual performance by a child and showing pornography to a minor for “grooming” purposes. There were at least 3,000 videos, with 700 confirmed to be child pornography, Gladson said.
There are at least four aggravating circumstances that justify death in this case, Gladson said, including the felony “was especially heinous, atrocious or cruel,” and that the victim was especially vulnerable.
Gladson sought the death penalty for Joseph A. Giampa in 2023 for raping a child under 12 under what was then a new change in Florida law. Giampa, who was 36 in February 2024, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.
The Supreme Court case Gladson was referring to was Kennedy v. Louisiana where a man was convicted of aggravated rape of his granddaughter. The court in 2008 ruled that the death penalty for the charge was unconstitutional based on the Eighth Amendment banning cruel and unusual punishment.
“Cases are always challenged,” Gladson noted.
Photos of Macarat from Office of The State Attorney, Fifth Judicial Circuit
Frank Stanfield has been a journalist for more than 40 years, including as an editor and reporter for the Daily Commercial, Orlando Sentinel and Ocala Star-Banner. He has written three books, “Unbroken: The Dorothy Lewis Story,” “Vampires, Gators and Wackos, A Florida Newspaperman’s Story,” and “Cold Blooded, A True Crime Story of a Murderous Teenage Cult.” He has appeared on numerous national and international broadcasts, including Discovery ID, Oxygen and Court TV. He maintains a blog at frankestanfield.com. Stanfield graduated with a political science degree from the University of North Florida and a master’s in journalism at the University of Georgia.
