Georgia authorities are investigating potential victims of Julius Hunter, a convicted sex offender from Florida. DNA evidence has linked him to three sexual assault cases involving women allegedly targeted through Craigslist job advertisements.
Charges in Georgia
The 42-year-old faces charges of rape, aggravated sodomy, and kidnapping in Georgia for a 2016 attack on a 19-year-old in a Clarkston apartment complex. A DeKalb County grand jury indicted him on August 11. Prior to this, Hunter had pleaded no contest to an unrelated 2021 sexual battery case in Florida involving his former girlfriend. Investigators suspect a broader series of assaults.
Possible Victims in New Jersey
“Hunter grew up in New Jersey, so it is possible there may be victims there,” said Brandi Rogers, an investigator with the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office.
Hunter’s DNA also matched evidence from two other sexual assault cases in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties from 2016 and 2017. So far, he has not been charged in those cases as investigators struggle to reconnect with the victims.
Incident Description
The 19-year-old believed she was accepting a $300 babysitting job. Hunter arranged for a ride to an apartment on July 27, 2016. When she arrived, she found no children, only Hunter and another man. Authorities claim Hunter detained and sexually assaulted her for several hours. The victim fled the next day, called 911, and underwent a sexual assault exam.
Authorities are still looking for information about the second man present during the assault.
Link Through DNA
For years, the Clarkston case remained unsolved. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation developed a male DNA profile but found no matches in the national database. This changed after Hunter’s 2021 Florida conviction. His DNA matched samples from the Clarkston and other county cases. Hunter was arrested on August 13 in Fort Lauderdale, shortly after his Georgia indictment, and extradited to Georgia on August 20.
He was still on probation from his Florida conviction when he was indicted in Georgia.
Craigslist Tactics
Authorities note that the Georgia cases shared similarities beyond DNA matches. Hunter allegedly used Craigslist ads for roles in babysitting, modeling, dancing, and massages to lure victims.
A pattern of incidents suggests more victims may exist. The Georgia Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Task Force, including prosecutors, investigators, and victim advocates, continues to investigate. Rogers encourages potential victims to contact authorities via a tip line to share their stories, emphasizing that prosecution is not mandatory for support.
Individuals believing they were victimized by Hunter can contact the tip line at 404-371-2444. “We want to hear their stories to offer support,” Rogers stated.
Leave a Reply