Staff report
ALACHUA, Fla. – A 22-year-old Alachua man, Robert James Lockard, was taken into custody yesterday after police said he sexually battered a girl who was between 12 and 16 years old.
According to an Alachua Police Department detective, the incident was reported to have happened on September 3. Investigators said the girl waited until her parent was asleep before leaving home and walking to Lockard’s apartment after messaging him.
The detective stated that the victim and Lockard already knew each other, and that Lockard was “explicitly” aware of the girl’s age.
Once she arrived at the apartment, Lockard allegedly provided marijuana, which the two smoked together. Police said he then began kissing the girl and later penetrated her. The victim told the detective that after the alleged sexual encounter, they watched a show and fell asleep. She had set an alarm so she could return home before her parent woke up, and she said Lockard told her to send him a text once she made it home safely.
Investigators said a review of the victim’s phone showed prior communication between her and Lockard through Instagram and Snapchat.
The detective also noted that Alachua Police collected the unwashed undergarments the victim said she wore during the incident. Those items are expected to be submitted for forensic testing and DNA analysis.
Lockard is charged with lewd or lascivious battery on a person between the ages of 12 and 16. Court records show he has no criminal convictions, though he is currently facing a Notice to Appear for driving without a valid license. Judge Meshon Rawls ordered Lockard held without bail while the court considers a State Attorney’s Office motion seeking to keep him detained without bail until trial. If that motion is denied, bond will be addressed at the hearing. Judge Rawls also ordered Lockard to have no contact with minors.
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.
