MARION COUNTY, Fla. (TCN) — A 15-year-old will spend the next several years in prison for breaking into an elderly woman’s home, beating, and sexually assaulting her.
Marion County court records show Jesse Stone was sentenced to 25 years in prison after he pleaded guilty in November to sexual assault and burglary of dwelling with battery. In addition, he must register as a sex offender, take anger management classes, and undergo a mental health evaluation.
On June 9 around 12 a.m., Stone entered the 91-year-old victim’s home and raped her. Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputies developed a lead after collecting DNA evidence, which helped them identify Stone as the suspect. He was brought into custody and arrested on June 17. During an interview with an investigator, he reportedly “admitted to unlawfully entering the victim’s home, striking the victim, and then sexually battering her.”
Stone was 14 years old at the time of the incident.
WESH-TV reports Stone and the victim knew each other because he mowed her lawn. On the night of the attack, he reportedly put a pillow over her face and started punching her. The victim fought back before Stone ran away.
According to WOFL-TV, Stone’s attorney reportedly said in court that the teen has ADHD and depression, and that he watched a lot of pornography. The attorney argued Stone needs to have “some punishment,” but they urged for “some element of rehabilitation that he’s not going to get in the state prison system as a 14-year-old sex offender.”
Judge Lisa Herndon reportedly said at the sentencing hearing, “His actions are egregious, and the victim in this case is lucky to be alive.”