14-year-old charged with sexually abusing an older woman in Marion County

MARION COUNTY, Florida. – A teenager was arrested after a 91-year-old woman was attacked in her home last week, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

In a press release, officials said the woman woke up in her home around midnight on Sunday, June 9.

At the time, she allegedly caught someone secretly searching her house, after which she was beaten and sexually abused, the press release states.

The victim was later taken to the hospital, where she told investigators that the suspect “jumped on” her and punched her in the face, according to MCSO.

An affidavit states that the woman was subsequently sexually assaulted before the suspect fled.

After an investigation, officials announced on Monday that they had arrested 14-year-old Jesse Stone.

(EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (free) | PINIT! Share your photos)

“The victim later stated that the day before the incident, a neighborhood youth named ‘Randy John’ (later identified as defendant Jesse Stone) came to her home and spoke to her,” the affidavit states. “She stated that it had been a while since the defendant had come over to talk to her, but when he was younger, he did so more frequently. She described the defendant as a ‘good’ kid, but that she did not know anything about the other people he hung out with.”

According to the sheriff’s office, Stone approached detectives who were searching the area that same day and told them that a neighbor had “found something” on the surveillance footage that detectives should see.

While reviewing the footage, investigators spotted a “figure” that resembled Stone jogging past the night before, the affidavit said.

Stone initially denied it was him, even though DNA evidence pointed to his involvement in the attack.

On June 13, detectives found Stone at North Marion High School and took him in for questioning.

During questioning, Stone admitted to entering the woman’s home to view pornography before entering her bedroom and attacking her, investigators said.

The MCSO announced that Stone was arrested and taken to juvenile justice and faces sexual assault and burglary charges.

“It was a shock that someone would commit such an act against a 91-year-old, but it is truly disturbing when we consider the young age of the man arrested,” said Sheriff Billy Woods. “While I firmly believe he should be held accountable for his crime, as a father my sympathies go out to his family. Hopefully his arrest will lead to him receiving help to prevent further acts of this kind.”

The headlines of the day in a few minutes with Your Florida daily newspaper: