18-year-old accused of raping woman he met on dating app

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Jean Jonathan Francois, 18, was arrested yesterday and charged with sexual battery after a woman he met on a dating app said he raped her after she clearly told him she did not want to have sex.

The victim told an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy that she met Francois on a dating app and that before meeting him, she explained to him that she was not interested in meeting anyone for the purpose of sex; however, during the conversation, she mentioned that she was interested in going to the gym and working out but was nervous. Francois reportedly offered to help her get started and said that his apartment complex (The Crossings at Santa Fe, 3205 NW 83rd Street) had a gym and she could go to the gym with him. The victim reportedly accepted his offer and reiterated that she did not want to have sex.

The victim said she went to Francois’s apartment with the intent of going to the gym, but when he answered the door, he was wearing pajama pants and no shirt. He reportedly told her his workout clothes were being washed, so they would have to wait a while to go to the gym. The victim said she accepted this and went into his bedroom to watch TV. She said they kissed consensually, but then Francois tried to touch her sexually, and she told him again that she didn’t want to “hook up” or have sex. She said Francois acknowledged her words but continued, anyway. She said he raped her although she kept telling him to stop and that although he said, “I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to do,” he continued raping her.

When she was able to escape, she said she called a relative while crying and wandered around the parking lot until she decided to walk over to a nearby police station to report the incident. She then went to a hospital to complete a sexual battery kit. The victim reportedly showed the deputy text messages that confirmed she had told Francois that they would not be “hooking up.”

The deputy made contact with Francois at the apartment complex, and post Miranda, Francois reportedly confirmed every part of the victim’s story, including acknowledging that she told him in advance that she was not going to “hook up” with him but he believed he would be having sex anyway. He reportedly said he heard her say she did not want to have sex but continued anyway; when the deputy asked him whether that sounded like consent, Francois reportedly said it did not.

Francois reportedly asked to apologize to the victim and wrote her an apology note.

Francois has no local adult criminal history. Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $250,000.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.