CHARLOTTE AMALIE — A St. Thomas man was arrested Wednesday and charged with raping a Seattle woman while she was visiting the island in early December, authorities said.
Juan Grant, 27, was arrested on a warrant issued by the Seattle Police Department and charged with first-degree rape and first-degree unlawful sexual contact, the Virgin Islands Police Department said.
The VIPD said that the Seattle Police Department first made contact with them on December 18 and that local detectives followed up on the woman’s complaint here.
The woman told police in Washington State that she had offered a ride to a man named “Jay” on December 2 — the first day she arrived in the territory. Jay would later be identified as Juan Grant.
Grant took her sightseeing around St. Thomas and then to a private location, according to the woman.
While she was at the private location, the woman said she began consuming alcohol and at some point blacked out in Grant’s presence.
“The victim went on by stating that she woke up the next day naked Monday, December 3, 2018, in a private location,” VIPD spokesman Glen Dratte said. “The victim confronted Grant, who stated they had sexual intercourse.”
After further investigation by the VIPD’s Criminal Investigation Bureau, an arrest warrant was signed and issued for Grant on Tuesday, Dratte said.
Grant was located Wednesday and arrested pursuant to the warrant for unlawful first-degree sexual contact.
Bail for Grant was set at $50,000. Unable to post bail, he was remanded to the Bureau Corrections pending further court action.
