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Thursday, November 28, 2024
Generic Crime
Generic Crime

After his arrest Friday, a Gainesville man confessed to sexually assaulting a minor last month, Gainesville Police said.

The female victim, whose age was redacted from a police report, told police Thomas Dowling, 20, assaulted her Dec. 1 while the two were watching a movie at home, according to the report.

Dowling started kissing her neck and chest before performing cunnilingus on the girl, while ignoring her as she repeatedly told him to stop, according to the report. She said he threatened he would do it again if she told anyone.

Dowling then removed her clothes and sexually assaulted her, she told police, according to the report. Again, she told him to stop, but he continued.

And it wasn’t the first time. The girl told police Dowling assaulted her 10 years ago, according to the report.

Speaking with police, Dowling described an internal struggle: he drunkenly lusted for the girl while his conscience told him not to, according to the report. He should have stopped, Dowling told police, but he didn’t.

Police arrested him on a charge of sexual battery of a minor. Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail where he remains, as of press time, on a $250,000 bond.

@merylkornfield

mkornfield@alligator.org

Thomas Dowling

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