December 17, 1999

FAR ROCKAWAY MAN GUILTY OF RAPING 12 YEAR OLD HE GRABBED OFF STREET

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today the conviction of a 25 year old Far Rockaway man on charges of grabbing a 12 year old girl off a neighborhood street, forcing her inside his residence and sexually assaulting her.

District Attorney Brown identified the defendant as Jermaine Barnes, 25, of 24-18 Deerfield Road, Far Rockaway. He was convicted of rape and unlawful imprisonment after a one week jury trial before Acting Supreme Court Justice Joel Blumenfeld. He faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on January 20.

According to the trial testimony, the then 12 year old victim was on her way to a laundromat when the defendant approached her from behind and grabbed her. He then forced her into his Deerfield Road residence, forced her to take off her clothing and raped her. As the victim struggled to leave he forced her to sign a statement falsely asserting that she was 18 and that the act was consensual. The victim signed the statement and fled home to her mother who immediately called police. The defendant was arrested half an hour later.

Assistant District Attorney Stephen Antignani of the District Attorneys Special Victims Bureau which is under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Marjory Fisher and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Gregory L. Lasak is in charge of the prosecution.

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