APOPKA, Fla. – A 25-year-old Apopka man was arrested on allegations of raping a girl whom he met online and whom he purchased an Uber trip from San Antonio to Florida, according to authorities.
Richard Brown was arrested by Apopka police on three counts of sexual battery on a child 12-17 by a person over 18, three counts of sexual assault with a 16- or 17-year-old and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
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According to an arrest affidavit, the 17-year-old girl said she met Brown online and he claimed he was 19 years old, "Instagram famous" and had a lot of money. She said Brown paid $822 for her to take an Uber from her home to Louisana and then another trip from there to San Antonio to his home in a gated Apopka neighborhood, according to officials.
The affidavit said the girl realized he was lying about his status and wanted to return home, but Brown forced her to say because she "owed him for bringing her out here."
The girl, who had been reported missing in Texas, said Brown raped her over the course of three nights before she escaped when he fell asleep, according to the affidavit.
The girl said she video chatted with her mother while trying to walk to a fire station before calling 911, the affidavit stated.
The girl also said Brown was using marijuana and cocaine and offered her drugs, according to the affidavit.
An officer interviewed the girl, who said she had run away from home and had been talking with Brown for three months before he paid for her to take one Uber ride to Louisiana and another Uber from Baton Rouge to Florida, according to the affidavit.
Brown told detectives that the girl was his friend, but he denied having sex with her or taking drugs, officials said. He said he thought the girl was 18 years old and needed a place to stay, according to the affidavit. Officials said he had an Uber receipt that showed he had paid for the girl to travel from Texas to Florida.
Brown was arrested and booked into the Orange County Jail, where he's being held on $40,000 bond.