Florida man accused of sexual battery of Eustis woman with disability, police say
Man accused of sexually battering woman with disability
Alexander Johnson is accused of sexually battering a woman with a cognitive impairment several times on Sunday night, according to the Eustis Police Department. The assault happened after Johnson and the victim went to a church to sleep for the evening. Johnson has had previous charges in Florida and in other states unrelated to sexual battery.
EUSTIS, Fla. - A Lake County man is accused of sexually battering a cognitively impaired woman near a church in Eustis, according to the Eustice Police Department.
Police arrested Alexander Benjamin Johnson for six counts of sexual battery on Wednesday afternoon, a news release said.
Lake County man accused of sexually battering cognitively impaired woman
What we know:
Police responded to a call from a mother who said her homeless daughter was allegedly sexually battered on Sunday night, according to a police report. The mother made the call after seeing a post on social media.
When investigators spoke with the victim, she shared that she met Johnson on Sunday night around 7:30 p.m. when she was sleeping underneath a gazebo at Eustis Lake Walk. The two agreed to go somewhere else to a find a place to sleep, and walked to a church on 600 S. Grove Street, a report said.
The report claims that the incident occurred when the two arrived at the church. It also details the victim asking Johnson to stop several times throughout the night, but he refused, investigators say.
Johnson and the victim went to a drop-in center at 115 E. Citrus Avenue on Tuesday morning, a news release said.
What we don't know:
It is unclear whether Johnson and the victim knew each other prior to them meeting on Sunday night.
Cognitive impairments
What they're saying:
Eustis Police Chief Craig Capris says he’s happy this man will be off the streets.
"This young lady has some severe cognitive issues, disabilities that make her vulnerable," said Chief Capri. "He took advantage of this victim. And we're going to make sure that we get keep him in custody and take him to trial so you can't do this again anybody else."
The Bureau of Justice Statistics has found people with cognitive disabilities are almost 7 times as likely to be the victim of violent crimes, as compared to the general population and half as likely to report rape.
Officers noted the victim seemed confused when talking about what happened.
The Litigation Director at Disability Rights Florida, Caitlyn Clibbon, told FOX 35 that’s not uncommon.
"People with disabilities are often left out of things like sex education. They are assumed to not be interested or that it’s not appropriate for them," said Clibbon. "But sex education can include things like these safety measures, safety precautions, and who to report to."
Johnson's charges
Dig deeper:
Johnson was arrested on Wednesday after officers spotted him riding a bike in Eustis.
Johnson has a limited criminal history in Lake County. He served 15 days in jail for driving without a license. Elsewhere, though, the Chief says he’s been booked for things like burglary, trespassing, assault, and domestic battery.
"He is not a sexual offense or a sexual predator, but he does have an extensive criminal history in Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, and Florida. So he is a career criminal. And here he is on our streets, preying on innocent victims," said Chief Capri.
He is charged with six counts of sexual battery and being held at the Lake County Jail.
The Source: This article was written with information gathered from a news release and a police report by the Eustis Police Department, and Litigation Director at Disability Rights Florida, Caitlyn Clibbon.