Gainesville Man Facing Lewd/Lascivious Battery Charge to Appear at Pretrial Detention Hearing

The State Attorney's Office will attempt to convince a judge this afternoon on why Mcnish Mathis Tuzon J. Hampton, 25, should not be given bond for one count of lewd or lascivious battery against a minor. 

According to the pretrial detention motion, Hampton met a 14-year-old girl on a dating app, went to Hernando County, assisted her in leaving her home through a window and then drove her to Alachua County. Hampton and the victim had multiple sexual encounters over the next few days.

The victim told police that she presented herself to Hampton as being 18 and that she had run away from home. She also reportedly said that Hampton “smashed her phone so she couldn’t be found.”

On July 3, three days after the victim ran away, her father reported her missing, according to the arrest report.

Using a location tracker on the victim’s phone, a Gainesville Police Department (GPD) officer tracked her to a vehicle with Hampton and three other men.

Hampton told police he agreed to help the victim sneak out because she told him that her father was going to kick her out of their house. 

Gainesville Police Department Detective Pablo Figueroa reported, “The fact that [Hampton] didn't know the victim was fourteen years of age, doesn't exempt him of committing the crime.”

Hampton will appear before Judge Denise Ferrero for his pretrial detention hearing at 3:00 p.m. today.