Man wanted on Nassau County rape charge arrested in Georgia

Jesse Albert Collins on county's Most Wanted list since May 2016

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – A man suspected of raping a child and who was on the Nassau County Sheriff’s Most Wanted list for more than a year has been arrested in Ware County, Georgia.

Jesse Albert Collins, 46, of Callahan, was extradited back to Nassau County to face two counts of sexual battery on a child. He is being held on $200,000 bond.

Investigators told News4Jax the child is not a relative of Collins, but that the alleged sexual assault happened in May 2016 inside a Callahan home in which Collins was staying. 

"It scares me to death that it was this close to home," a neighbor named Melissa said Thursday. 

According to a case report obtained by News4Jax, deputies were called to the home on Eula B Road on May 30, 2016, to investigate a report of sexual battery. While en route to that area, they were flagged down by a person who said she was looking for the juvenile victim. The victim was located at the residence and told deputies she had just been raped. 

According to the report, the victim was staying the night at the residence with two other young girls. The report said Collins was in the home with the girls and, at some point, the other two girls left the home while the alleged victim was still inside. 

The girl told investigators she was sleeping in a separate room from Collins, and when she woke up, Collins was groping her. She told investigators that she demanded Collins stop, but he pinned her to the bed, removed her shorts and raped her, according to the report.

At some point during the assault, Collins placed his hands over the victim’s face, then committed another sexual act, investigators said.

The victim told deputies that when it was over, he raped her again. Once that second assault was over, she said he made her clean herself with a washcloth.

An examination revealed the girl sustained visible bruising to both of her upper legs. 

When deputies searched the home, they said there was no sign of Collins. The room where the assault took place was secured and preserved for the Crime Scene Unit, deputies said.

The victim’s father was called to the scene, where investigators briefed him about what happened. 

Shortly after the attack, Collins was placed on Nassau County’s Most Wanted List. 

Julie Russ, who owns the home in which deputies said the assault happened, said she wasn't there at the time. Russ told News4Jax on Thursday that Collins was a guest who needed a place to stay. 

"He didn't seem like that kind of guy. He was staying here because my brother asked us to let him stay here for a couple months and we did," Russ said.

Given what detectives believe happened, Russ said, that was a big mistake.

"He took off down the road somewhere. I don't know exactly where," she said. "I know what he did here was horrific. That was just horrible. Apparently, he held the girl in the bedroom for a good while before she could even get loose."

Neighbors said between 10 and 20 children live on the block. They said given what happened last spring, they don’t trust any new face coming into the area.

Melissa said she regularly checks the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's sex offender list online.

"If someone new moves in, I find out their name and go right to that website because I have people to protect," she said.

If convicted, Collins could face up to 30 years in prison. 


About the Author:

Award-winning broadcast and multimedia journalist with 20 years experience.