In Gainesville, Florida, a troubling incident has led to the arrest of 63-year-old Jose Daniel Cediel Marin. He faces serious allegations, including charges of sexual battery and battery by strangulation.
The events came to light when a woman reported to Gainesville Police that she felt uncomfortable after Cediel Marin allegedly looked at her with what she described as a sexual gaze. Distressed by the situation, she contacted her sister. According to the victim, Cediel Marin then approached her and began kissing her. The victim claimed she did not reciprocate his advances, citing his marital status as a reason for her resistance.
The victim further recounted to authorities a harrowing experience where Cediel Marin allegedly led her into a bedroom, where she was raped and choked. Despite her pleas for him to stop, she reported that he assaulted her once more. After the alleged assaults, Cediel Marin reportedly prepared for work, while the victim sought advice from her sister, who urged her to contact the police. Officers arrived just as Cediel Marin was about to leave for his job.
When police assessed the situation, they noted the victim had visible redness around her neck and collarbone. She maintained that at no point did she consent to any sexual activity with Cediel Marin.
In his defense, Cediel Marin, after being read his Miranda rights, offered a different account. He claimed the victim had been distressed over a project and that he had promised to assist her later. He alleged that it was the victim who initiated the kiss, which he said he rejected before continuing with his routine and preparing for work. Cediel Marin denied any sexual encounter or physical interaction with the victim, insisting that his marriage meant he had no need to pursue such relations with her.
Post Miranda, Cediel Marin reportedly said the victim had been upset about a project that wasn’t working out, and he had offered to help her with it when he got home from work. He said the victim kissed him first, and he declined her advances and then got ready for work. He denied ever having sex with, kissing, or hugging the victim in any way. He said he does not need to have sex with the victim because he is married.
Cediel Marin, who is from Colombia but is a United States citizen, has been charged with sexual battery and battery by strangulation. He has no local criminal history, and Judge Bo Bayer 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.
