A 27-year-old man who arranged to meet women for dates via the Internet and then robbed and sexually assaulted them during meetings in Riverside and San Bernardino counties was sentenced Friday to 82 years to life in state prison.
A Riverside jury in October convicted DeJuan Ramon Jones of Victorville of three counts of forcible rape and two counts each of assault with a deadly weapon and forced oral copulation, and one count of robbery, as well as sentence-enhancing allegations of targeting more than one victim in sex crimes and inflicting great bodily injury.
Jurors acquitted him of kidnapping to commit rape and assault with intent to commit mayhem.
During a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice Friday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Valerie Navarro imposed the sentence required under state law.
The defendant was arrested in March 2022 following a joint investigation by the Riverside Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department.
According to Riverside police spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback, Jones was initially directly linked to an 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,” Railsback said. “The assaults took place once these meetings occurred. Jones was armed during the encounters, and it is believed he preyed upon women less likely to report the crimes to law enforcement, such as youth and sex workers.”
Court documents show that four victims came forward. The women were identified only by their initials — “A.S.,” “B.W.,” “C.R.” and “R.C.”
The attacks occurred between October 2021 and March 2022, according to the prosecution. Specific locations were not provided.
Railsback didn’t disclose how detectives ultimately identified Jones.
He had prior convictions in San Bernardino County that weren’t listed in court documents.