John Jefferson
Jesse Stone (Marion County Sheriff’s Office).
A teenage boy in Florida admittedly sexually assaulted a 91-year-old woman earlier this year, court records filed this week show.
Jesse Stone, 14, broke into the home of the nonagenarian victim over the summer, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman woke up around midnight and saw someone “sneaking through her home,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.
Then, the adolescent criminal brutally attacked his victim.
“In a cruel act of violence, she was beaten and sexually battered,” Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods said at the time.
The incident occurred on June 9, near the town of Reddick — a tiny town some 90 miles northwest of Orlando.
In the immediate aftermath of the shocking incident, law enforcement offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
By June 17, the assailant was in custody.
The sheriff offered a lengthy statement taking stock of the case:
I told everyone last week that we would find the person responsible, and we have. I’m very proud of the hard work that my detectives and forensics team have done on this case to bring about a quick closure. This type of unimaginable violence is still shocking to me after all of my years in law enforcement. The Reddick community has shown its resilience and support for us and their community through all of this. I also want to thank all of the citizens that sent in tips and leads in this case. It came as a shock that any individual would commit such an act on a 91-year-old, but it is truly disturbing when we see the young age of the arrestee. Although I firmly believe he should be held accountable for his crime, as a father, my compassion goes out to his family. Hopefully his arrest will lead to getting him help that prevents any further such acts.
A neighbor of the victim provided law enforcement with videos of Stone, the sheriff’s office said, according to Tampa-based NBC affiliate WFLA. Then, the neighbor saw the teenager riding his bike — wearing the same clothes he had on the night of the attack.
Investigators said they used DNA evidence and results from a rape kit to confirm Stone was, in fact, the culprit responsible for the crime.
“It’s a very meticulous, tedious process, but a lot of agencies don’t have that resource,” Marion County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Paul Bloom told the TV station. “A lot of their DNA is sent off and the results take a long time. We don’t want that. We don’t want time with this person out there to potentially attack another victim.”
During a subsequent interview with law enforcement, Stone allegedly admitted to breaking in, punching, and groping the woman.
The teenager was charged as an adult with one count each of sexual assault by someone under 18 years toward a victim over the age of 12 and burglary of a dwelling with battery, court records show.
He originally pleaded not guilty — but changed his plea on Nov. 7 before Fifth Judicial Circuit Judge Lisa Herndon.
Stone’s sentencing hearing is slated for Dec. 19.
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