ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An 18-year-old man accused of rape and believed by Orange County detectives to have multiple victims now faces more charges, records show.
Rafael O’Reilly Lerner was arrested last week to face charges of false imprisonment, two counts of sexual battery of a victim younger than 18 by a defendant 18 or older, two counts of sexual battery of a victim younger than 18 by a defendant younger than 18, and four counts each of battery and battery by strangulation.
O’Reilly Lerner was back in court Tuesday afternoon, where he was given no bond on a new case involving a charge of sexual battery with a deadly weapon and a charge of false imprisonment, making for 15 charges total.
When the Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced O’Reilly Lerner’s arrest, it beckoned any additional victims “who have been too afraid to come forward.”
Investigators described O’Reilly Lerner’s alleged actions as “emotionally and physically brutal.”
“He ingratiates himself to young women, coerces them into sex, becomes extremely violent and videotapes and photographs his victims during sex. Then he threatens them with exposing those videos and photos publicly and to their parents,” the statement reads. “Our detectives believe he’s a predator, and that this behavior has been going on for some time and escalated over time. We are asking anyone who has had any kind of concerning interactions with O’Reilly Lerner to come forward.”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call the sheriff’s office’s non-emergency line at 407-836-HELP (4357) to talk with a detective.