66°F
weather icon Clear

Florida man accused of using job prospect to lure, rape woman

ORMOND BEACH, Fla. — A Florida man is accused of dragging a woman unconscious to his car and raping her after luring her to a restaurant with a higher-paying job opportunity.

Jason Minton, 43, appeared in court Saturday and is facing sexual battery and kidnapping charges.

News outlets say the woman told police in Ormond Beach that she met Minton while at work this month. She said Minton overheard her saying she was looking for a higher-paying job, and told her the tree company where he worked was looking to hire someone. Minton contacted her to set up a lunch interview at a restaurant.

Ormond Beach police released a surveillance video they say shows Minton dragging the woman unconscious through the restaurant’s parking lot to his truck. Police said he took her to an unknown location and raped her, then drove her back to the restaurant and put her in her car.

The woman only remembers waking up at her mother’s house later that day, authorities said.

Minton’s lawyer, Aaron Delgado, told WFTV his client is a registered sex offender, and has been accused of rape before, but maintained he is innocent.

LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
SPONSORED BY DIMOPOULOS LAW FIRM
Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
THE LATEST
Israel goes deep into Rafah amid evacuations

The exodus of Palestinians from Rafah accelerated Sunday as Israeli forces pushed deeper into the southern Gaza city.

Fighting related to war in Bay Area classrooms

A seventh grade Jewish student at Roosevelt Middle School in San Francisco grew accustomed to seeing her classmates display their support for Palestinians.

Pro-Palestinian protests dwindle to tiny numbers at colleges

A tiny contingent of Duke University graduates opposed pro-Israel comedian Jerry Seinfeld speaking at their commencement with about 30 students chanting “free Palestine” amid a mix of boos and cheers.

Burning Man removes pro-Palestinian sculpture from website

Debates and protests sparked by Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip have worked their way into seemingly every corner in the world — even the free-spirited desert festival in Nevada known as Burning Man.