An 18-year-old Orange Park High School student is facing charges of sexual battery. Clay County Sheriff’s Office jail records show he’s accused of assaulting two teenage girls.
Clay County detectives say Jarel Walker, 18, has been under investigation multiple times for similar crimes. A judge set his bond at $325,000, jail records show.
Detectives say Walker sexually assaulted two teenage girls in October. According to court documents, the first allegation was made on Oct. 13. Documents show that investigators determined Walker sexually assaulted a 16-year-old female schoolmate after the two got off a school bus.
The schoolmate told detectives that Walker ignored multiple requests to stop making advances toward her, according to documents. Walker was interviewed by investigators at Orange Park High School, but his statements to detectives were omitted from the arrest report.
Clay County Court records also show that Walker was arrested in connection to a sexual assault involving a minor that allegedly happened on Oct. 17. When investigators said they ran a criminal background check on Walker, it revealed that in September 2021, Walker was arrested by Palm Bay police on charges of lewd and lascivious battery on a 14-year-old girl.
Documents show that when Walker was only 13, he was listed as a suspect in a sexual assault case involving an incident that happened inside a Kansas Middle school.
Clinical and forensic psychologist Dr. Justin D’Arienzo is an expert in analyzing criminal sexual behavior. He’s not affiliated with any cases involving Walker, but he says if the allegations prove to be true, there’s concern.
“Whenever you have behavioral issues that start early, that is a predictor for long-term problems in the future,” D’Arienzo said.
The doctor says if someone is committing multiple sexual offenses at a young age, it may take more than incarceration to rehabilitate that person.
Court records show that Walker is being represented by a public defender.