TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Bus Assault Suspect Out On Bail
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: May 11, 2008
WESTCHASE - Hours after one of three suspects in the sexual battery of a 15-year-old girl was released from Pinellas County Jail early Saturday, the girl's attorney spoke out against comments made by the defendant's mother.
Dixie Hollins High School student Branden Allen, 18, was arrested Thursday and charged with sexual battery and false imprisonment, along with two juvenile males. He was released from custody at 1:47 a.m. on $55,000 bail, records show.
On Friday, Branden Allen's mother, Trina Allen, told reporters her son would not commit such an act and that the situation must have been a misunderstanding.
There could be no misunderstanding, attorney Paul Kimsey said. He appeared at a brief news conference Saturday afternoon in Westchase.
"This was not a consensual act," Kimsey said. "In short, this was not an act of horseplay that got out of hand."
He said the victim and Branden Allen were not friends.
"They may have ridden the same bus," he said, "but I don't even believe she knew his name."
The victim and her family had not intended to make any public statements until they learned what Trina Allen said to reporters, he said.
The attack happened about 6:15 p.m. Tuesday on a bus that was on school grounds at 4940 62nd St. N., authorities said. The bus transports students who stay after school for extracurricular activities or sports.
Investigators say two other boys, Jermeil Douse, 16, and Jacolbi Williams, 15, served as lookouts and are charged with being principals to sexual battery and false imprisonment. They were being held at the Pinellas Juvenile Assessment Center.
All three suspects are Dixie Hollins football players.
The driver had left the bus to round up students who were running late, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said. While he was gone, Allen opened the bus door and went inside. The girl, whose name was not released, followed to get a seat for the ride home, detectives said. Douse and Williams boarded next.
The arrest affidavit says the girl was sexually assaulted twice and that she tried numerous times to get Allen to stop.
The incident stopped as other students arrived to board the bus, detectives said. The girl's parents contacted the sheriff's office Wednesday.
Kimsey said the driver was gone for more than 20 minutes and that a surveillance video will show the girl was molested against her will.
Attorney Lucas Fleming, who represents Branden Allen, said Saturday he thinks the video will show something different.
"We will be able to determine from that if there was any sort of struggle," Fleming said.
Reporters Carlos Moncada and Stephen Thompson contributed to this report. Reporter Mike Wells can be reached at (813) 259-7839 or mwells@tampatrib .com.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)
* Keep it clean
* Respect others
* Don't hate
* Don't use language you wouldn't use with your mom
* Use "Report Inappropriate Comments" link when necessary
* See Member Agreement for details
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
Reader Comments
Posted by ( Marco ) on May 11, 2008 at 6:32 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Let the apologists comments and naysaying begin! The script will read: Lie, deny, counterattack.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( 1madvet ) on May 11, 2008 at 8:30 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Play the vedio already.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Petey90 ) on May 11, 2008 at 9:13 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I think playing video would be awful and sick. What kind of people would play the video to the public of a child being raped??
As for a struggle. Some rape victims don't struggle, they just lie there scared, that doesn't mean they didn't say NO. NO means NO. She has one adult raping her, TWICE, and two looking out, and his slimy attorney is only looking for a struggle? Are you kidding me?
How about punishing the bus driver who is NOT supposed to leave kids alone, so this very thing doesn't happen? What is going to become of her? What about her negligence? The Hillsborogh County school board does NOT care about our children and this is just another example of it. Kids are bullied, beaten and abused at school all the time and teachers and administrators look the other way all the time. They cowtow to loud ignorant,obnoxious parents. If you are a quiet, respectful parent, you will get nowhere with the administration and neither will your child.
Parents need to stand up and make them accountable and until they do, this will continue to go on.
Wake up parents!
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( ceibert ) on May 11, 2008 at 9:22 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I never heard of a bus driver leaving their bus unattended. I smell a hugh lawsuit.
I hope the camera on the bus was actually on.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( skairkro ) on May 11, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Some thug has 2 other thugs lookout for him while he molests a 15 year old girl and Petey90 wants to blame the bus driver? I don't get it.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( goodtimejim ) on May 11, 2008 at 12:54 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Come on? Wasn't the doors closed and one of the people opened the door? No one on this earth is to blame except the @@ hole who raped a girl.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( ceibert ) on May 11, 2008 at 1:56 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Goodtime, those doors can be pryed open from the outside.
Also it is the school's responsibility to keep our children safe. More than 1 lawsuit can be filed. The thug is going to prison.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( flea ) on May 11, 2008 at 4:57 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
If this boy isn't punished, there will be oher victims in the future. This act out in the open proves he is headed down a much worse road. The mother should not be commenting without seeing the video.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Marco ) on May 11, 2008 at 7:03 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
OUT ON BAIL!!! You have to be ****ing me!! $55K. Lets see, at 10% required for bond, he is out with a paltry $5500?? The judge sucks and should be held accountable.
Report Inappropriate Comments