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Staff Report
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have taken 25-year-old Zacchaeus Travion Ivery Jones into custody following allegations of attempted sexual assault against a woman who was assisting him in obtaining mental health medication. He is also accused of assault and harassment, with the incident putting a young child at risk.
According to reports from February 9, deputies from the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office were called to a residence after the victim claimed she had accompanied Jones to the VA Hospital for medication. When they were unsuccessful, she took him to a relative’s home and contacted the VA on his behalf.
While speaking with a nurse, the victim alleged that Jones locked them in a room, tried to forcibly undress her, exposed himself, and made inappropriate physical contact. Despite her efforts to resist and tell him to stop, he persisted.
She recounted attempting to leave, but Jones allegedly blocked her path, pushed her onto a bed, and continued his assault. During the struggle, she fell onto her infant, nearly causing the child to tumble from the bed. The victim fought back, repeatedly telling Jones that his actions would lead to arrest.
The victim said she tried to call someone to help her, but Jones took her phone and put it out of reach; she finally pushed her way past Jones and escaped the bedroom with her infant.
Post Miranda, Jones reportedly admitted that he locked the door and tried to initiate sexual intercourse with the victim by taking her pants off and removing his own pants. He reportedly acknowledged that the victim told him to stop.
Jones reportedly said that when the victim unlocked the door to leave the room, he re-locked it and tried again to initiate sexual intercourse; he said she “sounded more serious” the second time she told him to stop.
Jones reportedly said the victim had tried to call someone, and he admitted to taking her phone.
The victim reportedly told Jones to leave her alone and not contact her after the incident, but he allegedly contacted her on Instagram.
Jones has been charged with sexual battery, felony battery, child abuse without great bodily harm, false imprisonment, and stalking. He has three misdemeanor convictions (one violent). Judge Tatum Davis 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.