A Nashville man charged with raping two teenage girls at gunpoint had his bond significantly reduced by a Davidson County, Tennessee judge, prompting backlash from sexual assault victim advocates.
Dejuan Moore was being held on an $810,000 bond, but Judge Khadija Babb lowered it to $304,000. Moore faces a series of serious charges, including two counts of aggravated rape, three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, three counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, as well as resisting arrest, evading arrest, and evading arrest by a motor vehicle.
Moore’s defense attorney, Jennifer Thompson, argued the original bond was excessive, pointing to Moore’s lack of criminal history and what she called “strong ties to the Nashville community.” She said Moore wants to be released to support his girlfriend and her children.
“He was supportive of him and his girlfriend and their household,” Thompson claimed. However, victim advocates expressed outrage over the judge’s decision.
"It makes it seem like his life is more important than the victims he sexually assaulted,” said Lorraine McGuire, Vice President of Community Relations at the Sexual Assault Center, according to Fox 17 News.
According to police, the incident occurred around 2 am on November 24. Moore allegedly approached three teenage girls at a gas station and asked them to attend a party. When they refused, police say he chased them and forced them to pull over behind a Dollar General store. He then allegedly held two of the girls at gunpoint and forced them to perform sex acts on him. The third girl called 911.
According to the bond order, during the 911 call, you can hear one girl begging, “please don’t hurt me,” and a scream. Two of the girls are 17 and one is 15 years old, according to the Nashville police.
The state fought for a higher bond due to the nature of the accusations and the number of charges. Additionally, the state argued that the defendant is a danger to the community and would be a flight risk.
Despite this argument, the judge ruled in favor of the defense while acknowledging Moore’s charges are troubling. In response, McGuire called the ruling “incredibly triggering to survivors” and would make them “lose faith in trying to pursue criminal justice.”
Moore’s next court date is expected to be on July 31.
