Jared Vaughn was arrested in mid-June, 2021 for the January 27, 2007 rape of a University of Tampa student in Tampa, Florida. The suspect walked the student back to her dorm room after the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, and then proceeded to sexually assault her in the shower. He fled when the woman’s roommate returned home. A DNA sample of the suspect was collected from the victim’s sexual assault kit.
The FGG investigation was undertaken in 2020 by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The investigation was continuing when, in March of 2021, Vaughn himself uploaded his DNA to one of the databases being used by the FDLE – either GEDmatch or FTDNA. Officers then obtained a warrant to take Vaughn’s DNA, which was found to be a match to the DNA profile collected from the victim’s SAK.
Vaughn is now facing charges of sexual battery in Hillsborough County, Florida.
Sources:
ABC 7 Staff. “DNA Helps Solve 2007 Sexual Battery Case in Tampa.” ABC 7 News, June 23, 2021. Accessed July 1, 2021. https://www.mysuncoast.com/2021/06/23/dna-helps-solve-2007-sexual-battery-case-tampa/.
Cascio, Josh, and Fox 13 News Staff. “Genealogy Database Leads Tampa Police to 2007 Gasparilla Rape Suspect.” Fox 13 News, June 22, 2021. Accessed July 1, 2021. https://www.fox13news.com/news/tampa-police-arrest-suspect-in-2007-sexual-battery-case.
Ntim, Zac. “14 Years After a Sexual Assault in Tampa, a Man Has Been Charged With Rape Because He Entered His Own DNA Into a Genealogy Database.” Insider, June 27, 2021. https://www.insider.com/tampa-bay-police-use-genealogy-testing-database-solve-rape-case-2021-6.
Robitzki, Dan. “Man Charged With Rape After Uploading His DNA to Ancestry Site.” Futurism, June 28, 2021. Accessed July 1, 2021. https://futurism.com/neoscope/man-charged-rape-uploading-dna-ancestry.
Santora, Sara. “Man Charged in 14-Year-Old Case After Submitting DNA to Genealogy Database.” Newsweek, June 28, 2021. Accessed July 1, 2021. https://www.newsweek.com/man-charged-14-year-old-cold-case-after-submitting-dna-genealogy-database-1604827.