Staff Report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have charged 45-year-old Fredrick Joseph Augustus with the alleged sexual assault of a woman who had just arrived at GRACE Marketplace.

According to a report from the Gainesville Police Department, the woman claimed she first encountered Augustus in early April upon her arrival at GRACE Marketplace. She recounted that on April 24, around 3 p.m., she began spending time with Augustus, who subsequently invited her to his tent located in the wooded area east of GRACE.

The victim alleged that Augustus forcibly injected her with a substance she suspected to be methamphetamines. Following the injection, she said he used his body to restrain and sexually assault her, despite her repeated pleas for him to stop.

She stated that approximately an hour later, Augustus exited the tent, leaving her to lose consciousness inside.

The responding officer noted the presence of a fresh needle mark on the woman’s arm, consistent with her account of the injection.

Augustus reportedly said the victim had been in his tent earlier in the day, and he said he had known her for about a week, since she arrived in the area. He said the victim smoked “meth” with him inside the tent, and then they engaged in consensual sex. He denied forcibly injecting her with drugs or raping her. He said the victim fell asleep in his tent after they had sex, and he let her sleep there until after dinner, when he woke her up and asked her to leave the tent.

Augustus, whose address is listed as the former St. Francis House site, has been charged with sexual battery. He has two felony convictions (one violent) and seven misdemeanor convictions (one violent). Judge Donna Keim ordered him held without bail pending a hearing on a motion from the State Attorney’s Office to hold him without bail until trial; if the judge denies the motion, bail will be set at that hearing.

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.