A Florida Man Pretending to Be 'Instagram Famous' Lured a Teen From Texas, Allegedly Raped Her

By Maria Sherman  |  March 25, 2019 | 3:30pm
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According to CBS affiliate ClickOrlando, Richard Brown, a 25-year-old man from Apopka, Florida, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly raping a 17-year-old teenager he lured from San Antonio, Texas on the grounds that he was “Instagram famous,” wealthy, and would provide for her. He currently faces three counts of sexual battery on a child 12-17 by a person over 18, three counts of sexual assault with a 16- or 17-year-old, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Brown, who claimed to be 19, allegedly struck up conversation with the teen on Instagram before paying for a $822 Uber ride to bring her from San Antonio to Louisiana, and then another Uber trip from Baton Rouge to his home in Apopka, where she was allegedly raped over the course of three days. According to ABC affiliate WFTV9, the 17-year-old immediately realized he lied to her and when she asked to go home, he responded “No, you owe me now for bringing you all the way here.”

The teenager was able to call 911 and escape on Wednesday when Brown fell asleep. Brown told police he was “only friends” with the girl, and thought she needed a place to stay, the Washington Post reports.

Brown’s attorney told Fox 35 Orlando:

“We see several inconsistencies with this affidavit. The victim said to police she met Mr. Brown through Instagram but somehow her account was hacked, couldn’t download the messages to show police.”

Brown is currently being held on $40,000 bond in a Orange County jail.

 
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