GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Travis Lamont Hale Sr., 47, has been sentenced to 20 years in state prison after a jury convicted him of sexual battery, felony battery and domestic battery by strangulation.
Hale was arrested on Nov. 13, 2024, after a woman who had been in a relationship with him for several months told authorities that he beat and choked her, kept her with him for two days to stop her from contacting police, and then forced her to have sex with him.
The victim said Hale became angry on Nov. 9 because he believed another man had been in her apartment. Her family told him that only relatives, including her father, had been there, but he remained upset. According to the victim, Hale drove her to his apartment and threw her phone out of the vehicle’s window along the way.
She said she got out of the car at an intersection and walked home. However, she chose not to contact law enforcement because Hale had destroyed only her phone.
About an hour later, Hale returned to the apartment. The victim let him inside because he appeared calm and had brought back her computer. She said he again accused her of having a man in the apartment before punching her in the face and threatening to break her jaw. Hale then choked her until she lost consciousness. After she woke up, he took her to CVS for first-aid supplies, but she said swelling around her eyes had made it difficult to see.
Later that day, Hale took the victim with him to a job in Lake City. She said he kept her under constant watch for two days so she could not call police.
On Nov. 10, Hale told the victim he wanted to have sex. When she refused, he argued that it was unfair because “this is an apology.” The victim said she repeatedly told him no, but he forced her to have sexual intercourse.
During a trial that began Aug. 31, a jury acquitted Hale of destroying the victim’s phone but convicted him of sexual battery, felony battery and domestic battery by strangulation. Judge Denise Ferrero sentenced him to 15 years for sexual battery, followed by five years for felony battery, with credit for 661 days already served. He received a time-served sentence for domestic battery by strangulation, followed by five years of probation after his release. Hale will also be designated as a Sexual Offender.