Third Student Arrested in Florida Spring Break Gang Rape Case
[hdplay id=172 width=700 height=500] PANAMA CITY, Fla., April 16 (UPI) —Authorities on Wednesday arrested a third suspect in an investigation into a reported gang rape of a 19-year-old woman during spring break in Florida, police said.The incident, which was captured on videoby a witness’ cellphone, involves multiple men raping the woman — who is laid out on a beach chair — while dozens of onlookers stand idly by, doing nothing to intervene, police said.
The video inadvertently came to the attention of authorities last month, while officers in Alabama were investigating an unrelated shooting. Once the footage made it to police, Florida authorities became involved and started investigating the rape.
Last week, two Troy University students were arrested. Delonte’ Martistee, 22, and Ryan Austin Calhoun, 23, were taken into custody April 11 and charged with sexual battery, CBS News reported.
A third suspect, George Davon Kennedy, 21, was arrested in Georgia on Tuesday on the same charge, authorities said. It wasn’t immediately alleged what role Kennedy played in the incident, but records show that he is a student at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.
According to investigators, the attack happened sometime between March 10 and March 12 in Panama City, where thousands of college students visit each spring during a break from classes.
In the video, several men are seen surrounding the incapacitated victim, as scores of others surround them — chatting and drinking, and doing nothing to help the woman or intervene in the assault.
Bay County, Fla., Sheriff Frank McKeithen has described the video of the rape as the “most disgusting, sickening thing” he has ever seen.
“This is happening in broad daylight with hundreds of people seeing and hearing what is happening, and they are more concerned about spilling their beer than somebody being raped,” McKeithen said.
McKeithen said there may be more arrests in this case and suggested that the exceedingly unrestrained behavior by some on spring break needs to stop.
“We have got to get control of our beaches,” he said. “It is not safe for our children to be out there on the beaches when these animals are out there conducting themselves like this.”
The victim, 19, reportedly told police that she felt she had been drugged at the time of the assault — but didn’t know enough about what happened to make a report to police.
All three suspects are expected to make their initial court appearances next month. Calhoun has been released from custody on a $50,000 bond, CBS reported. Martistee was reportedly a star on Troy University’s track team. Both students have been temporarily suspended by the school.
“This is not the first video we’ve recovered, it’s not the second video, it’s not the third video,” McKeithen said. “There’s a number of videos we’ve recovered with things similar to this, and I can only imagine how many we haven’t recovered.”
