ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Prosecutors have filed a motion to revoke the bond of a man whom a judge allowed to bail out of jail after his arrest in a sex-attack case, records show.
They say he has already violated the terms of his release.
Jacoby Vontrell Tillman, 23, was arrested last week in connection to the July 25 sex attack of a woman running along the Little Econ Greenway trail, according to the sheriff’s office.
While he originally faced charges of attempted sexual battery, battery by strangulation and false imprisonment, a charge of attempted first-degree murder has since appeared on Tillman’s court docket.
[PAST COVERAGE: Person of interest sought after woman attacked along Orange County trail]
After his arrest last week, a judge set Tillman’s bond at $9,500 with conditions such as having no contact with the victim or witnesses, either directly or indirectly, and not returning to the scene. Tillman then posted bond and was released on Oct. 12, records show.
“This is atrocious! He should have never been released,” Orange County Sheriff John Mina said on social media.
The office of Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell also spoke out against the judge’s decision, issuing the following statement:
After reviewing the facts of this case, our office felt that the release of the defendant was not appropriate, and he presents a danger to our community. We argued this point to the Judge and requested pretrial detention. Ultimately the Judge, in her authority, made the decision to issue a bond in the case. Our office is not the final decision maker in matters such as these and it is important to note that multiple entities are involved in the pursuit of justice including law enforcement and the judicial branch.
Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office
The motion to revoke Tillman’s bond was filed Thursday, records show.
Prosecutors argue that after Tillman was released, he posted on TikTok and made comments toward a witness, thus violating the terms of his release.
News 6 called the jail to confirm Tillman was not in custody at the time of this writing. When we reached out to Mina for comment, we were told he was out of town and unavailable.
News 6 spoke with Belvin Perry Jr., former chief judge of Florida’s Ninth Judicial Circuit, to get his perspective.
When asked if a defendant can be denied bond because of his or her past, Perry said the answer is ”partially yes.”
Perry said a judge must consider the nature and circumstances surrounding the present offense, and other factors such as prior criminal history and whether or not the suspect poses a flight risk, when determining bail.
At Tillman’s first appearance hearing, prosecutors argued that he was a flight risk because of statements included in his arrest affidavit.
“If the reports are true, when he appeared on TV when he was just a suspect and nobody knew who he was, his mother attempted to have him flee the jurisdiction of the Court by use of a plane ticket,” Perry said.
Tillman’s defense attorney argued that he was not a flight risk and ultimately the judge denied the request from prosecutors to keep him detained while he awaits trial.
An arrest affidavit for Tillman also states that he reportedly told his mother after the incident that he “didn’t rape the lady,” he was “trying to kill the lady.” It goes on to allege Tillman also said, “because I wanted to know what it was like to choke someone out.”
“If all those factors are true, the facts would justify anyone coming to the conclusion that his release would present a danger to the community,” Perry said.
[WATCH: Runners react to attack on woman along Orange County trail]