Florida man arrested in Georgia cold case sexual assault of teen he met through Craigslist, DA says
More than a decade after a DeKalb County 19-year-old was sexually assaulted and kidnapped, officials say they have arrested and extradited a 42-year-old Florida man in connection with the case.
In August, a DeKalb County grand jury indicted Julius Hunter on charges of rape, aggravated sodomy, and kidnapping for the 2016 assault.
According to investigators, the 19-year-old victim responded to a Craigslist ad purporting to look for an overnight babysitter on July 27, 2016. The victim spoke to a man who offered her $300 to watch his children for the night and ordered her a ride-share car to a Clarkston apartment complex.
When the victim got there, prosecutors say she was met by two men. She tried to leave, but was stopped, assaulted and raped for several hours by one man, who investigators say was later identified as Hunter.
The next day, officials say the woman was let go, got into a cab, and told the driver to call 911. She met police and went to the hospital for a sexual assault exam.
The case remained a mystery for years, even after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed male DNA in the sexual assault kit, because officials said they could not find a match in the national Combined DNA Index System. However, the DNA did match that of two other kits collected in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties in 2016 and 2017, officials said.
Investigators say they later connected the case to Hunter after he was convicted of a 2021 sexual battery case in Florida. Officers and U.S. Marshals arrested Hunter in Fort Lauderdale while he was out on probation. He is now in custody at the DeKalb County Jail without bond.
The search for possible other victims
Investigators are now looking for additional alleged victims of Hunter, saying they have not been able to connect with those from the other cases that matched his DNA.
"The perpetrator lured the victims using Craigslist ads soliciting women for jobs such as babysitting, modeling, dancing and massages. Some of the victims met him at the same Jolly Avenue apartment," the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office said.
Authorities are asking anyone who believes they have information about Hunter or who may be a victim to call the District Attorney's tip line at (404) 371-2444.
