Julius Hunter, a man previously convicted of sex crimes in Florida, now faces charges in Georgia for a 2016 sexual assault. dNA evidence has further linked Hunter to two additional cold-case rapes in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.
The $300 babysitting lure at 700 Jolly Avenue
The indictment of Julius Hunter stems from a harrowing event on July 27, 2016, involving a 19-year-old woman. According to the report, the victim believed she was traveling to an overnight babysitting job that paid $300. Julius Hunter allegedly arranged a ride-share to transport the woman to an apartment located near 700 Jolly Avenue in Clarkston, Georgia.
Upon arrvial, the victim discovered there were no children present, only Julius Hunter and another unidentified male. The woman attempted to leave the premises immediately, but Julius Hunter allegedly detained and sexually assaulted her over the course of several hours. She was eventually released the following day,at which point she fled in a taxi and contacted emergency services from a gas station before undergoing a sexual assault exam at a hospital.
How a 2021 Florida conviction triggered the CODIS match
For years, the Clarkston attack remained an unsolved mystery despite the efforts of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI). The GBI had successfully developed a male DNA profile from the victim's sexual assault kit and entered it into the Combined DNA Index System, known as CODIS.. However, the profile did not yield a match in the national database for several years.
The breakthrough occurred only after Julius Hunter was convicted in Florida in 2021 for a sexual battery case involving his former girlfriend. As the report says, once the Florida authorities collected his DNA and uploaded it to CODIS, it triggered an immediate match to the evidence recovered from the Clarkston crime scene, as well as kits from two other cases in DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.
Unsolved assaults in Gwinnett and DeKalb counties
Beyond the Clarkston indictment, DNA evidence has tied Julius Hunter to two other sexual assaults occurring in 2016 and 2017 within DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. as reported by Fox News Digital, Julius Hunter has not yet been charged in these two specific cases. deKalb County District Attorney Investigator Brandi Rogers noted that law enforcement has been unable to reconnect with the two women involved in those assaults.
Investigators are now expanding their search for potential victims beyond Georgia. Because Julius Hunter grew up in New Jersey, Investigator Brandi Rogers suggested that there may be additional victims in that state, as well as in Florida. Authorities are urging anyone who may have been victimized by Julius Hunter to come forward, emphasizing that providing information does not mandate the pursuit of criminal prosecution.
The unidentified second man in the Clarkston apartment
A significant piece of the 2016 Clarkston investigation remains unresolved: the identity of the second man present during the assault. While Julius Hunter was arrested in Fort Lauderdale on August 13 and subsequently extradited to the DeKalb County Jail on August 20, his alleged accomplice has not been identified or charged.
The presence of a second individual suggests a level of coordination in these crimes that investigators are still trying to untangle. the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office has highlighted that the various Georgia cases share striking similarities, specifically the predatory use of Craigslist advertisements to solicit women under false pretenses.
From Craigslist ads to modern gaming app lures
The methods used by Julius Hunter to lure victims—posing as employers for babysitting, modeling, dancing, and massage work—reflect a broader, evolving trend of digital predation. This case echoes current warnings from Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill and Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard, who are currently campaigning against online child predators.
Attorney General Liz Murrill and Sheriff Jason Ard have warned that the traditional image of the "white van" has been replaced by digital access, with predators now using social media and gaming apps to lure victims directly into their homes. The transition from Craigslist ads in 2016 to gaming apps today demonstrates a persistent shift toward using the anonymity of the internet to facilitate physical violence.
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