Couple found guilty of having sex on Florida beach

A couple has been found guilty of having sex on a public Florida beach in broad daylight in front of families.

Jose Caballero, 40, and Elissa Alvarez, 20, were charged with two counts each of lewd and lascivious behaviour for having sex on a public beach on July 20, 2014.

It took a jury just 15 minutes to find them guilty on Monday over the incident that occurred on Bradenton Beach (pictured above).

The convictions carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

According to the Miami Herald, video played in the courtroom showed Alvarez moving on top of Caballero in a sexual manner at 2.30pm in the afternoon.

Witnesses testified that families and children, including a three-year-old girl, saw them.

Assistant State Attorney Anthony Dafonseca said they will pursue a harsher sentence for Caballero than Alvarez, as Alvarez has no prior record and Caballero has been to prison for almost eight years for a cocaine trafficking conviction.

According to ABC News, Dafonseca said: "We gave them a reasonable offer, what we felt was reasonable, and they decided it wasn't something they wanted to accept responsibility for. Despite the video, despite all the witnesses."

Outside court, Caballero's mother said there were worse crimes committed that the law should be more concerned about.

But Dafonseca said: "You think about 2.30pm in the afternoon on a crowded beach, it takes a certain kind of person to do that in front of children only feet away."

A sentencing date will be announced in due course.