Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Gerald Dwayne Grimes, 44, has been arrested and charged with sexual battery and false imprisonment after allegedly raping a woman just four days after he was released from prison.

Grimes was released from prison on March 20 after serving a four-year sentence for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The victim told an Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputy that she had known Grimes for about six years and had communicated with him while he was in prison.

The victim said she and Grimes had had consensual sex a few days before the sexual battery incident on March 24, but on that date, she had planned to go to a hotel for some “alone time.” She said Grimes drove her to the hotel and she checked into the room; she said that while Grimes may have entered the lobby to use the restroom, she had gotten the room for herself.

She said that Grimes went to the room with her and then said he had forgotten a few things and came back with “Sex Candy” and marijuana. After some time, she said, Grimes said he was going to “rape her,” and she said she told him she did not want to have sex with him. She said he pushed her onto the bed several times and pushed her into the wall, preventing her from leaving the room; she said she tried to run out the door, but Grimes grabbed her and digitally penetrated her before she was able to get out. She sat down in the hall, a few doors down, and she said Grimes said something about “playing” before he left and asked if they were still friends. The victim said she thought she had yelled for help at least once while being pushed against the wall and three more times near the door.

The occupant of a neighboring room reportedly told a deputy that she heard noises from the victim’s room as if something was hitting the wall; she said she could hear a male voice and a female voice and the woman made a noise like a “yelp” at one point, along with “help.” She said the noises went on for about 30 minutes, and then she heard the woman yell “help” three times near the door of her room. The witness called 911.

At the time of her interview with a deputy at a local hospital, the victim said she did not want to press charges against Grimes.

However, on March 28, she called the deputy and said she had changed her mind because she did not want anyone else to be victimized. She said she had spoken to Grimes and he acted like he hadn’t done anything wrong, leading her to believe he might do something like that again.

The deputy spoke to Grimes on April 23, and Grimes reportedly denied committing a sexual battery but asked for an attorney before answering any additional questions. He was arrested on May 21 for failing to properly register as a sexual predator; specifically, he had not provided the tag number or VIN for the vehicle he used to drive the victim to the hotel.

Grimes has been charged with sexual battery and false imprisonment. He has six felony convictions (two violent) and three misdemeanor convictions (one violent); he has served seven state prison sentences, with his most recent release on March 20, 2025. On July 15, Judge Robert Groeb granted a motion from the State Attorney’s office to hold Grimes without bail until trial.

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.