An Ocala man was arrested this week after a 17-year-old girl accused him of raping her inside a vacant home.
On Tuesday, May 20, Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a vacant home located on Locust Road in Ocala in reference to a sexual battery incident. The teen victim was hiding behind a nearby car, and she told deputies that she had been raped by an “acquaintance,” identified as 25-year-old Joshua Nathan Lackey, Jr., according to the arrest report.
The victim told deputies that she had met Lackey on Facebook, and they had decided to meet at the incident location to “hang out.” According to the victim’s statement, a relative dropped her off at the residence at around 9 p.m., and she went inside the home with Lackey.
Once inside, the victim alleged that Lackey “forcefully (held) her down” and raped her “five to 10 minutes.” She then advised that she ran outside the home and called for help, according to the report.
An MCSO deputy located Lackey walking near the intersection of Oak Trail Lane and Emerald Lane, and Lackey claimed that he was “trying to get a ride” for the victim. The report stated that Lackey admitted to “doing the deed” with the victim inside an abandoned home.
After being read his Miranda rights, Lackey told investigators that he had met the victim on Facebook approximately one week earlier, and they had agreed to meet in person at the incident location, which he knew was vacant. He allegedly further admitted to knowing that the victim was 17 years old.
During the post-Miranda interview, Lackey stated that he had “sexual relations” with the victim, which included “kissing, oral sex, and penile-vaginal sex,” according to the report. He claimed that the incident was “consensual,” adding that there was “no fighting or yelling.”
Lackey was placed under arrest and transported to Marion County Jail, where he is currently being held on a $10,000 bond. He is being charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor.
A court date for Lackey has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.
An MCSO corporal noted in the arrest report that the sexual battery allegations against Lackey are “still under investigation.”