A man found guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage girl who was waiting for her mother at an Ocala movie theater has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Last week, on June 18, a Marion County judge sentenced 34-year-old Augusta Williams to 15 years’ imprisonment, with credit for 436 days already served in jail, for lewd or lascivious battery on a child between the ages of 12 and 16. The sentence also covers two additional charges of falsely impersonating a law enforcement officer and engaging in activity where a license is required.
In May of 2025, Marion County jurors found Williams guilty of the lewd or lascivious battery charge. While in court last week, Williams pleaded no contest to the two other charges.
Back on January 15, 2023, the Ocala Police Department was notified of a sexual battery that had occurred the night before at the Regal Hollywood 16 movie theater located at 2801 SW 27th Avenue in Ocala. According to OPD, officers were informed that a then-15-year-old girl had been sexually battered by an armed security guard who was working at the movie theater.
OPD stated that investigators spoke with the victim, who advised that her mother had dropped her off at the theater so that she could watch a movie with several friends. When the movie ended, the victim stated that her friend’s grandfather arrived to pick up her friends, though the grandfather refused to give her a ride home.
According to the victim, she attempted to call her mother several times but was unable to reach her. An armed security guard working at the theater, identified as Williams, told the grandfather that he would look after the victim until she was able to get a ride home.
The victim advised that Williams led her to the movie screen in an empty theater, and he brought her behind the curtains. The victim told investigators that she believed Williams was leading her to a backdoor exit so that he could take her home.
Once behind the curtain, the victim told police that Williams raped her. The victim stated that she repeatedly told Williams to stop, but he continued to sexually assault her, according to OPD.
When Williams eventually stopped, the victim advised that he threatened her and told her not to tell anyone about the incident. The victim stated that she exited the theater with Williams, and her mother arrived shortly afterwards to take her home.
The victim’s mother told OPD that she was having issues with her cellphone, and she became concerned when the victim did not return home at the expected time.
The following day, the victim told her mother about the incident involving Williams. Once OPD was notified, detectives contacted the movie theater’s management and retrieved video surveillance footage that showed Williams and the victim walking together through the hallways.
OPD stated that the surveillance footage showed Williams and the victim enter an empty theater, and they exited the theater approximately 20 minutes later. An officer utilized an ultraviolet (UV) light to examine the area behind the curtain in the empty theater, and several areas were located that exhibited a glow.
Detectives made contact with Williams and asked him about the incident. Williams claimed that he was helping the victim search for her lost cellphone, though detectives observed that the movie theater that Williams and the victim had entered was not the same theater that the victim was in previously.
Williams was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail on January 17, 2023. He was released from jail four months later after posting bond, and he was later re-arrested on charges of falsely impersonating a security guard and operating as a security guard without a license.
Marion County Court records show that Williams failed to appear at a pre-trial conference in 2024, which resulted in a bench warrant being issued. He was placed under arrest and booked into Marion County Jail in August of 2024, where he remained in custody while awaiting the resolution of his case.
Following Williams’ sentencing last week, a public defender was appointed for “appeal purposes.” Williams will remain in custody at Marion County Jail until his upcoming hearing, which is set for 1 p.m. on Thursday, August 21, 2025, according to court records.