Warrant: Man arrested 16 years after woman reported sexual battery

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Ra – Editor’s note: The pursuing study contains details of a reported intersexual battery. Discretion is advised.

A antheral is facing a intersexual artillery complaint much than 16 years aft a pistillate reported it to police, according to a study from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

An apprehension warrant obtained by News4JAX shows Reggie Lee Smith was arrested and booked into the Duval County jailhouse Dec. 10 connected a intersexual artillery complaint stemming from an incidental that was reported connected Oct. 30, 2005.

According to the warrant, a pistillate reported the intersexual artillery to authorities portion she was astatine a hospital. She told constabulary that connected Oct. 28, she was approached by who she described arsenic an chartless antheral astatine the Hess state presumption connected Lane Avenue, present a Speedway. She said the antheral offered her marijuana.

The warrant states that she refused, but told constabulary that she believed the antheral had “slipped immoderate benignant of drug” into the java she bought from the state station. She aboriginal said she remembered being successful an chartless flat during the intersexual battery.

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The study states that “It was not until she came into consciousness connected October 30, 2005, that she near the chartless apartment.

While successful the hospital, the study sates, she completed a aesculapian introspection and intersexual battle kit.

According to the warrant, the kit was not selected for processing until July 11, 2016 and results were not returned until Feb. 23, 2017.

“There was a laboratory backup. They were overwhelmed with the fig of rape kits they had to process,” explained News4JAX transgression and information adept Ken Jefferson.

According to endthebacklog.org, successful 2015, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement reported much than 13,000 untested kits.

Police re-interviewed the pistillate connected Aug. 8, 2019. The warrant states the pistillate “disclosed the aforesaid relationship of the incidental arsenic what was antecedently reported successful 2005.″

Days later, the pistillate was presented with a photographic lineup and identified a suspect, the warrant states. No further advancement was made successful the lawsuit until Feb. 21, 2020, erstwhile officers made interaction with Smith astatine his flat successful Douglas, Georgia. He was not arrested.

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Records amusement connected Nov. 15, 2021, a justice signed an apprehension warrant for Smith. Jail records amusement Smith was booked into Duval County jailhouse connected Dec. 10.

In 2016, Florida enacted a instrumentality requiring instrumentality enforcement agencies to taxable intersexual battle kits for investigating wrong 30 days if a study is made oregon requested by a unfortunate and each indispensable beryllium tested wrong 120 days of the laboratory receiving them.

Jefferson says determination is the contented of a statute of limitations.

“They person the evidence, you person to measurement whether statute of limitations has expired,” helium said. “If the statue of limitations hasn’t expired, helium volition beryllium prosecuted.”

According to Florida instrumentality successful cases of intersexual artillery crimes against victims 18 years of property oregon older, if the discourtesy is reported to instrumentality enforcement wrong 72 hours of the offense, determination is nary statute of limitations.

If the discourtesy is not reported wrong 72 hours, the statute of limitations is 3 to 4 years.

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The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office does not merchandise the individuality of transgression victims, nor is it the argumentation of News4JAX to place intersexual artillery survivors, unless the idiosyncratic asks oregon allows for their sanction to beryllium published.

Research shows survivors commonly picture their lives pursuing a intersexual battle arsenic emotionally charged, confusing, and frightening. However, probe besides shows, survivors who question counseling, marque changes to their carnal safety, and question aesculapian attraction study regaining consciousness of aforesaid and strength, according to the National Sexual Assault Helpline.

If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is simply a subsister of intersexual assault, determination are resources disposable to you.

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