Babysitter Convicted of Raping Child

June 25, 2022 – A jury Friday deliberated just 20 minutes before finding a north Shelby County man guilty of sexually molesting a 7-year-old girl he was babysitting for family friends in 2019, said Shelby County Dist. Atty. Gen. Amy Weirich.

Travis Ruzicha (aka Ruzicka), 22, of Drummonds was convicted of rape of a child and aggravated sexual battery after a four-day trial. Criminal Court Judge Chris Craft revoked his bond and set sentencing for August.

The incidents occurred July 21-22 in 2019 at a home in Memphis where Ruzicha, a family friend, was babysitting the young girl. When her mother returned her daughter told her that Ruzicha had kissed her and touched her inappropriately several times throughout the day in different parts of the house.

The case was handled by Asst. Dist. Attys. Lessie Rainey and Regina Lucreziano.

ADA Rainey is with the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit which prosecutes cases involving vulnerable victims, including rape, sexual abuse and severe physical abuse of child victims. The SVU was created as an expansion of the multi-agency Child Protection Investigative Team (CPPIT.)

ADA Lucreziano is with the District Attorney’s Vertical Team 1 which prosecutes cases in General Sessions Division 7 (Veteran’s Court) and in Criminal Court Division 1.