St. Croix Man Accused of Rape; Denies Charges

A St. Croix man turned himself into police after a woman accused him of sexually assaulting her, the V.I. Police Department reported Monday.

On July 11, a female victim reported to police that she was sexually assaulted by a man at his home while braiding his hair. She stated that she told him she did not want to have sex with him; however, he allegedly forced himself on her and engaged in sexual intercourse without her permission, according to the police report.

On Monday, Jose Jaheim Perez, 19, turned himself into authorities and was subsequently turned over to the Criminal Investigation Bureau, where he was Mirandized and made a statement after waiving his rights. He denied raping the victim but admitted that he had sex with her, the police report stated.

Perez was charged with rape in the first degree, with bail set at $75,000. Unable to post his bail, he was remanded to the John Bell Correctional Facility pending his advice of rights hearing at the Superior Court on Tuesday, police said.