Gainesville Police Department arrested and charged a man with the sexual battery of three Gainesville women since August.
Police Detective Joseph Mayo arrested Tyrone Williams, 22, of Florida City, at 5:35 p.m., the police report said.
GPD spokesman Lt. Keith Kameg said Williams associated himself with three rape cases that involved separate victims. None of the women were UF students, he said.
Kameg said a female rape victim spotted Williams walking in the Depot Avenue area Sunday and recognized him.
She told a friend to notify the police, and GPD Officer Mike Denmark responded to the call, Kameg said.
Detectives Randy Roberts and Joseph Mayo were called to the scene.
Williams was charged with three counts of sexual battery and one count of false imprisonment, Kameg said.
False imprisonment is illegally holding a person against their will.
"In all of the cases, while raping the women, he beat the women," he said.
The most recent alleged rape took place Tuesday in northeast Gainesville, Kameg said.
Police alleged Williams was involved in an Oct. 8 rape attempt as well, he said.
The female victim who spotted Williams was allegedly sexually assaulted in August, Kameg said. Williams allegedly held the victim down and repeatedly punched her in the face during the assault, the report stated.
Inside Williams' backpack, police found a ski mask and gloves, which linked him to the rape, Kameg said.
He said Williams has been in the Gainesville area for about six months, and his first alleged rape took place in early August in southeast Gainesville.
Police suspect there are other victims out there who haven't spoken up.
"A person like this, who's this young, the thought of him escalating was very high," Kameg said.
"If he is beating women that badly, raping women, it only gets worse from there."
