A man was recently sentenced for the attempted sexual battery of a victim who was walking in Central Florida.
22-year-old Jephson Seguin pleaded guilty to charges related to his 2023 arrest in the courtroom of Judge James R. Baxley. Seguin was convicted of Attempted Sexual Battery with Force Likely to Cause Injury while Wearing a Mask, Attempted First-Degree Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer with a Weapon While Wearing a Mask, and Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Law Enforcement.
“The sense of security taken from this victim by this defendant and the crimes he committed after that are deserving of this fifteen-year sentence,” said Chief Assistant State Attorney Walter Forgie.
Seguin was arrested in June of 2023 following a Eustis Police Department investigation after law enforcement was contacted in reference to an attempted sexual battery that just occurred. Dispatch advised officers that a male wearing a grey, black, and white hoodie had just battered the victim while they were walking on Morningview Drive in Eustis, Florida.
The victim indicated to officers that while walking, an unknown man came up from behind, grabbing and groping them before throwing them down to the ground. The victim further stated after yelling for the defendant to let go, the defendant, who was wearing a surgical mask over his face, took off running. A few moments later the victim stated gunshots were fired.
While officers were responding to the attack, they noticed a man in a black truck nearby who appeared to be hiding. He was wearing a hoodie and surgical mask matching the suspect’s description. When law enforcement tried to approach him, he fled and attempted to run over an officer, who fired at the truck. Home surveillance footage showed the suspect running from the attack location to where his vehicle was parked nearby.
Officers identified the owner of a black truck, who confirmed that Seguin was in possession of it. An arrest warrant for Seguin was issued, and he was found two days later with a bullet wound. He was hospitalized and admitted to being in the driver’s seat when shot.
His truck was located at his grandmother’s house, where his DNA was found, matching evidence of the shooting. A surgical mask similar to one described by the victim and officers was also found next to the driver’s seat.
Seguin was sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by an additional 15 years of sex offender probation, and has been designated as a sexual predator. Assistant State Attorney Thomas Wieczorek successfully prosecuted this case.
