Homeless man charged with sexual battery of 14-year-old girl at abandoned hotel

Staff report

Updated on October 7 with pre-trial detention information.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Artavis Deontre Clark, 27, has been charged with eight counts of sexual battery on a 14-year-old victim after allegedly bringing her to an abandoned hotel and having sex with her nearly every day over an 11-day period in June.

The victim disclosed on September 9 that she had met Clark at the downtown library in Gainesville around June 18, and she said she told Clark that she was 19 years old and homeless. She said Clark invited her to stay with him at an abandoned hotel, which appears to be the former Wyndham Garden Hotel at 2900 SW 13th Street.

The victim said she and Clark went to a gym at a nearby apartment complex, and while they were there, she told Clark that she was really 14 years old, but he still allowed her to come back to the hotel with him.

The victim said that when they returned to the hotel, she was hot because there was no power in the building, so Clark told her she could take off her clothes, and then he took off his clothes, began kissing her, and then engaged in sexual intercourse with her.

The victim said she was with Clark for about 10 days, and they engaged in sex every day except for three days. She said she fell in love with Clark during that time, and they made plans to move to Albany, New York, including picking out an apartment and looking at bus tickets. She said they discussed ways to change her name so she would not get caught, and she said they wanted to have a baby, but they knew they would have to wait until she was 18 so the hospital would not notify law enforcement.

The victim said Clark only left the hotel to donate plasma or to go to the laundromat. She said he had “fixed up” the hotel room and had a grill in there to cook food, and he taught her how to make rice on the grill.

Clark was arrested on July 1 when an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy responded to a trespassing call at Fresh Laundry and Cafe (3830 SW 13th Street). The deputy reported that after he told Clark that the laundromat staff wanted him trespassed, Clark became “inexplicably and increasingly angry” and began yelling at the deputy. Clark allegedly assumed a bladed stance and balled his fist as he faced the deputy, and the deputy arrested him for assault on a law enforcement officer; Clark allegedly kept trying to pull away from the deputy, so he was also charged with resisting an officer without violence. Judge Joy Danne ordered him released on his own recognizance.

At about 10:46 p.m. on September 23, Gainesville Police Department and University of Florida Police Department officers were patrolling SW 13th Street along the edge of campus when Clark allegedly crossed the street against a “do not cross” sign; he was stopped for a pedestrian violation, and he reportedly said his name was “Art Clark” and allegedly refused to provide his date of birth despite being told he would be arrested. After repeatedly refusing to provide his date of birth, Clark was arrested for providing false identification information to a law enforcement officer and has remained in the Alachua County Jail on $4,000 bail.

A GPD officer interviewed Clark at the jail, and post Miranda, he confirmed many of the details in the victim’s story. He said he met her at the library and that she told him she was 19 and homeless, so he invited her to stay with him at the abandoned hotel. He said he taught her how to make rice on the grill and bought her clothing to “help her not look homeless.” He said he left the hotel to donate plasma and go to the laundromat, and he corroborated the victim’s account of their plans to move to Albany. The officer noted that he gave long, detailed answers to all of the questions until she asked if he’d had sex with the victim, and then he stared down at the table and just said, “No.” She reported that after that, he put his head on the table and began giving short answers to questions. He denied having any sexual contact with the victim but otherwise confirmed the other details in the victim’s story.

Clark is now facing eight counts of sexual battery on a victim between the ages of 12 and 18, along with the previous charges of providing false identification information and resisting an officer without violence; the charge of assault on an officer was dropped. He has no criminal convictions, and Judge Meshon Rawls has ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial. On October 7, Judge Denise Ferrero granted the motion and ordered him held without bail until trial.

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.