66° CLEAR, Police say rape claim was false
Last Modified: Saturday, November 15, 2008 at 7:51 a.m.
OCALA — An Ocala woman who claimed she was raped on Aug. 6 while walking along Southwest 32nd Court is being held in Pennsylvania on charges of making up the story.
Marion County sheriff's officials say Sandra Lawrence, 41, made up the bogus rape because she'd had unprotected sex that day with a 16-year-old boy and wanted a morning-after pill.
Lawrence allegedly claimed a Hispanic man dragged her into the woods and raped her, setting off a major law enforcement manhunt.
On Nov. 3, Lawrence went to the Muhlenberg Township Police Department in Temple, Pa., and told police there that she had done "a terrible thing" in Florida by falsely reporting a rape to the Marion County Sheriff's Office, according to a Sheriff's Office report.
In a handwritten statement given to Pennsylvania authorities, Lawrence alleged the boy, who she said is a family friend, raped her.She said she lied about the stranger raping her to protect her family.
The boy's mother contacted a sheriff's detective Nov. 4 to say that her son had had sex with Lawrence and that she had made a false report. The woman also said that she had let Lawrence know she was going to report her.
The teen, who was interviewed on Nov. 11, told Detective Owen Confessore that he and Lawrence had unprotected sex on Aug. 6. Afterward, he said, the woman told him she would fix it.
Lawrence was being held on charges of unlawful sexual activity with a minor; tampering with or fabricating physical evidence; tampering with a victim, witness or informant; making a false report to law enforcement officials; and giving alcohol to a person under 21.
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Comments
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November 17, 2008 7:01:36 am
RE: Link
Any woman that falsifies a rape should be required to serve the time in prison a rapist would serve. That would put a stop to that.
November 17, 2008 1:18:42 pm
ok, all you guys know is what the editor is saying. no body knows the whole story. the only people are this lady and the boy. and i guess the family of whos telling the truth. dont go jumping to conclusions. all you people would have do the same thing if teh person was really close to your family. you would not want the kid marked a rapist for the rest of his life. it would ruin him. he wouldnt be aloud to go to certain places or living in certain areas. so stop writing bad stuff about this lady and think about the situation she's in.
November 17, 2008 1:48:38 pm
No...any smart person would know that Truth is the best policy! If she were honest about what happened a witch hunt would not have gone on...thank god that no one fit the disciption of who she drew up in her mind. And if the boy raped her he would actually be able to recieve help since he is a minor if she told the truth!!!
November 17, 2008 3:48:15 pm
A false rape accusation IS RAPE!
It is odd that this child rapist is using a false rape accusation to shield herself and possible destroy the life of her 16 yo victim.
Until false rape accusations are viewed as a major felony and prosecuted as such rather than a misdemeanor for making a false police report of a crime as is currently the norm then this crime will be repeated again and again.It is time to view it for what it is and that is rape.
November 17, 2008 6:48:18 pm
Ok bam, I have read the article and I have read all your posts and can only think one thing...you must be a friend of this woman. She admitted to making it up so what is with keeping an open mind! She has at least come clean so to speak and here you are defending her. This is exaclty why so many rapists never get prosecuted or arrested because of people like her that make things up. She had unprotected regrettable sex, that does not equal rape. The boy is actually a victim, as an adult she knew better and had sex with this boy; she took advantage of him. And why you are reading this and wondering, no I am not a man sticking up for the boy. I am a woman who can not believe the posts that you have typed. Your not being open minded you are blinded.
November 18, 2008 1:07:17 pm
everybody handles situations differently. this woman did lie but until your in her shoes you dont know why it happened. im sure there are alot of circumstances that arent posted on here so dont convict this lady until you know the truth(by the way none of you will because you really dont care your just on here talkin bull. i bet if it was proven that he did it none of you will have nothing to say.) all im saying is dont say all this about sending the woman away if it hasnt even been proved what happened. its all just he said she said right now!
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