Teens Charged As Adults In Hollywood Rape Case
HOLLYWOOD (CBSMiami) -- Three South Broward High School students were charged as adults for their involvement in the alleged beating and rape of a 16-year old girl in Hollywood earlier this month.
Prosecutors announced Friday Patricia Montes, 15, Ericka Avery, 16, and Dwight Henry, 17, are charged with two counts of kidnapping and two counts of sexual battery with use of force likely to cause serious personal injury, according to the Sun Sentinel.
Hearings set for Saturday for two of the teens charged were rescheduled to Sunday morning so relatives could attend.
The charges could carry a maximum sentence of life in prison for adults , but because they are minors, a life sentence would be unconstitutional since Florida has abolished parole, according to the Sun Sentinel.
Two other teens have also been charged in the case.
Lanel Singleton, 18, and Jayvon Woolfork, 19, are charged with false imprisonment and sexual battery of a minor. Both have been denied bond.
Singleton and Woolfork face life in prison because they were adults at the time of the alleged rape.
According to the 16-year old victim she was hanging out with one of the teen girls on November 1st at a residence in the 1600 block of McKinley Street last Friday when Singleton, Woolfork and a teen came from another room and told her "You have to have sex with 'Jay' or we are going to beat you."
When the girl refused, she told investigators all four began to beat her saying they wouldn't stop until she agreed to have sex with Woolfork.
When she continued to refuse, the girl said they dragged her by the hair out into the backyard, pushed her down a set of stairs, smashed her head into a concrete floor and then dragged her back inside to a bedroom.
The teen said all four then pulled off her clothes and then three of them held her down while Woolfork sexually battered her for five to ten minutes. They then allegedly let her go.
The teen told police she ran to her grandmother's house which was nearby.
People who live in that neighborhood told CBS 4's Marybel Rodriguez they are stunned at the allegations. "It's very disturbing I didn't expect this I knew there were things going on in there that weren't to kosher but this was very surprising and upsetting of course" said Kathy Wasconis.
Hollywood police first picked up the 16-year old and 17-year old girls. According to their probable cause affidavits, the girls admitted to battery but denied that the girl was sexually battered or that her clothing was forcibly removed.
A warrant was issued to search the house. When officers arrived they found Singleton, Woolfork and the 17-year old inside.
Investigators also learned that the attack was captured on one of the teen girl's cell phone and seized it as evidence. One of the videos on the phone reportedly shows the girl being repeatedly punched and kicked and told the beating would only stop if she would agree to have sex with "Jay." Singleton allegedly admitted to taking the video.
On the video, the girl was visibly stripped of her clothes and then she told the group she would do what they wanted if they would stop hitting her.
Singleton said the girl only agreed to have sex because she felt physically threatened, according to the police report. He also denied being present when she was sexually battered.
