[PHOTO CREDITS: iStock / yongyut Chanthaboot]
[Original Publish Date: 02/14/20]
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LEESBURG, Florida — An 18-year-old Leesburg man is facing three counts of sexual battery and a tampering with a witness charge after a fellow patient at LifeStream accused him of rape.
Leesburg Police responded to LifeStream Behavioral Center, 2020 Tally Road, Leesburg Tuesday night in reference to a sexual battery in the male unit. The victim told police Daniel A. Simmons, 18, approached him in the bathroom while he was getting sick and forced him to perform oral sex on him.
Simmons then performed oral sex on the victim and finally raped him, according to an arrest affidavit. The victim told police the entire incident lasted three to five minutes and Simmons just suddenly let him go. He said Simmons threatened to kill him if he reported the rape, the affidavit states.
The victim did report the rape and Simmons chased him around the male unit saying he was going to “[expletive] him up,” a staff member told police. The staff member also had to get between the two to stop the argument from becoming physical. Simmons denied the allegations when questioned.
Simmons is being held at the Lake County Jail on $35,000 bond.
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Our Editor-in-Chief, Marilyn M. Aciego, began writing for Lake Legal News in 2010. Born and raised in Lake County, she is a graduate of Umatilla High School and Lake-Sumter State College. She started her journalism career at LSSC, where she was editor of both student publications, The Angler and The Odyssey. Her professional career began at the Daily Commercial in 2004 where she covered cops and courts the majority of her time there until she left in 2009. Currently, along with being Editor-in-Chief of Lake Legal News, she is the Florida bureau chief for an international media organization. She has made more than two dozen appearances on live national television, including Nancy Grace and the Greta Van Susteren show, along with her appearance on Evil Twins. Contact her with breaking news, tips, and feedback by sending an e-mail to 352Tips@gmail.com. You can also contact us on our Facebook page — and make sure you “Like” and “Follow us” there. [PHOTO CREDIT: Bonnie Whicher]
