Sexual predator arrested in violent rape near International Drive area

Police: Joseph Moore beat, raped victim while she fought back

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando police said a woman who was brutally beaten, raped and stripped of her clothing vehemently fought back against her accused attacker early Tuesday morning after he led her to a field near International Drive and sexually battered her.

Police have arrested Joseph Thomas Paul Moore, 31, who they described as a violent sexual predator from Illinois, hours after the attack was reported at 3:30 a.m.

Police were called to The Point Orlando on Universal Boulevard and met with the woman, who said she was sexually assaulted in a nearby field while walking from a Brickhouse Tavern back to the Hilton hotel where she was staying.

According to the report, the woman was walking from the International Drive tavern to the Hilton on Destination Parkway when her accused attacker, later identified as Moore, started walking behind her. Eventually, he spoke to her and told her he knew she was walking to the Hilton and offered to show her a shortcut, the victim told police.

Moore led the woman into an open field and almost immediately he punched her in the face until she fell to the ground, according to the report. Police said the attack happened in the 5900 block of Lakehurst Drive.

The victim, who was in Orlando on business, believed she was going to die, police wrote in the report.

“She described feeling powerless during the incident, feeling like she was going to die, and was not even able to scream," read the report.

The woman told police Moore appeared to enjoy beating her and told her to take her clothes off. During the attack when Moore sexually battered the woman she bit him in the groin hard enough to draw blood, but he "didn't event flinch" and continued to sexually batter her, according to the report.

When Moore stood up, the victim, who was naked, ran and he chased her until she made it to The Point Orlando hotel where police were called, the report stated.

The woman is recovering at an area hospital and continuing to work with investigators.

Detectives found Moore in the wooded area where the crimes happened and arrested him after questioning.

Moore is charged with two counts of sexual battery, attempted sexual battery, false imprisonment,
kidnapping and aggravated battery.

Moore appeared before a judge Wednesday morning. He was denied bail on two of his six charges.


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