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Tampa man accused of having sexual relationship with 13-year-old girl messaged 11 other juveniles: MCSO

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Published  April 25, 2025 11:40am EDT
Tampa
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • A Tampa man is accused of engaging in sexual activity with a 13-year-old Marion County girl.
    • Deputies say 22-year-old Jaquese Sankey also communicated with 11 other juveniles, requested sexually explicit photos and videos from them and expressed interest in meeting them.
    • Stankey was arrested by the Tampa Police Department and extradited to the Marion County Jail, where deputies say he admitted to sexually battering the teen victim.

TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa man has been arrested after deputies say he engaged in a sexual relationship with a 13-year-old girl in Marion County. 

The backstory:

According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to a home on January 2, 2025, after a grandmother discovered 22-year-old Jaquese Sankey in bed with her 13-year-old granddaughter. 

When confronted, deputies say Sankey left the home quickly. 

The sheriff’s office says Sankey secretively entered the home the night before and engaged in sexual activity with the teenage girl. 

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On January 3, 2025, a detective found Snapchat messages between Sankey and the victim. 

In their conversation, Sankey told the victim that he lives in Tampa and asked to stay the night with the victim. 

Courtesy: Marion County Sheriff's Office

Courtesy: Marion County Sheriff's Office

Detectives say Sankey also received sexually explicit images and videos from the victim.

During a forensic interview, the victim said that she and Sankey engaged in sexual activity twice on the night of the incident. 

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She stated she and Sankey met through a mutual friend and had been communicating for nearly a month via text messages and phone calls. The victim told detectives that Sankey knew she was 13 years old.

Dig deeper:

On February 12, 2025, Detective Stith received results from a search warrant that included additional messages between Sankey and 11 other females who said they were under 18. 

According to MCSO, in the messages, the juveniles made him aware of their age, which he acknowledges and states he doesn’t mind. 

Deputies say Sankey also requested sexually explicit photos and videos and showed interest in meeting several of these juveniles. 

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Stankey was arrested by the Tampa Police Department on March 22, 2025. 

He was then extradited to the Marion County Jail, where deputies say he admitted to sexually battering the teen victim.

The Source: This story was written with information provided by the Marion County Sheriff's Office. 

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