Man accused of assaulting women he met on dating apps, social media

RIVERSIDE–A 25-year-old man has been accused of arranging to meet women for dates via the internet and then robbing and sexually assaulting them. He now must stand trial for rape and multiple other offenses, a judge ruled on Wednesday.

DeJuan Ramon Jones of Victorville was arrested in March 2022 following a joint investigation by the Riverside Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.

At the end of a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jason Armand found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial on the three rape counts. Jones will also stand trial for assault with a deadly weapon, forced oral copulation, kidnapping to commit rape and assault with intent to commit rape and robbery.

DeJuan Ramon Jones was accused of assaulting women he had met on dating apps and social media. FILE PHOTO

The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for Dec. 19 at the Riverside Hall of Justice and ordered that Jones remain held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

According to the Riverside Police Department, Jones was initially directly linked to an alleged assault that occurred on March 7, 2022, in Riverside, which culminated in his arrest.

“Investigators learned Jones was active on dating apps and social media, where he had met women online,” police spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback said.

“The assaults took place once these meetings occurred,” he said.

Railsback said Jones was armed during the encounters, and it is believed he preyed on women “less likely to report the crimes to law enforcement, such as youth and sex workers.”

Court documents show that four victims alleged the defendant assaulted
them. The alleged attacks occurred between October 2021 and March 2022 in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, according to the prosecution’s complaint.

Jones has prior convictions in San Bernardino County that weren’t listed
in court documents. (CNS)