Man who met women on Facebook and dating app charged in sexual assaults, police say

A man using Facebook and the dating app Tagged to meet young women is accused in two rapes and an attempt in a third, Columbus police said Friday in Recorder’s Court.

Jamarquis Javier Hooks, 26, of Columbus pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, two counts sodomy and one count each of kidnapping and criminal attempted rape involving three women ages 19-21. Judge Julius Hunter ordered Hooks held without bond on the charges and bound all offenses over to Muscogee Superior Court.

Hunter denied motions from Hooks’ attorney William Kendrick, who questioned the attempted rape and kidnapping charges. Hunter said both would be left up to a jury when details of the case are considered.

Detective Thomas Shelton of the Special Victims Unit said police were called Aug. 18 to the hospital on a sexual assault. The 20-year-old woman said the man was called Marcus and she had met him on the dating app Tagged.

The woman said she was picked up at her Fort Benning home and the man drove to his grandmother’s house before they ended up at Peachtree Mall. They then stopped at a Winn Dixie and another location on University Avenue to get some marijuana. They went back to his grandmother’s house and smoked weed in the driveway before driving to a location near St. Marys Road.

The woman said she was assaulted in the front seat. When she believed it didn’t feel right, the woman activated an emergency app on her phone to call police several times. “She was yelling to stop,” the detective said. “He said calm down. I’m not doing anything.”

The victim was returned to Fort Benning where she sought help from military police while using the bathroom.

Nearly a week later, detective Amanda Hogan said police were called to the hospital on Aug. 24 on a 19-year-old woman who said she was raped after chatting with Hooks on Facebook. The woman said he offered her a ride to her mother’s house from the Colony Inn on Victory Drive. He asked for sex but the woman told him she wouldn’t do that for a ride.

After Hooks picked her up, the woman said he drove in a different direction to an area near St. Marys Road. At the location, the woman was partially disrobed and forced to have sex and engage in sodomy. After the assault, police said he then told the woman he couldn’t give her a ride.

The victim said she went to a nearby office to get help. Her grandmother picked her up at the Circle K. She had scars on her wrist and complained of pain.

Police seized Hooks vehicle and cut a piece of the seat for DNA. They also searched his cellphone.

Kendrick asked Hogan whether the woman has been accused of prostitution. She said the woman hasn’t but agreed the hotel can be used for prostitution.

After charges were filed, detectives looked at other similar assault cases. One date was March 9 when a 21-year-old woman said she struggled with a man she met on Facebook. He tried to rape her in the back seat at the same location. During the struggle, both fell out of the car after he was able to rip off her pants.

The victim ran to a nearby office to get help about 11:30 a.m.

This story was originally published August 31, 2018 at 12:00 AM.