BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio -- An Oxford man accused of sexually assaulting two Miami University students in his vehicle that serves as a taxi service is back in the Butler County Jail after allegations he may have violated the terms of his bond, the Journal-News reported.
Sherman Jackson II, the owner and operator of Sherman’s Safe Ride, is charged with three counts of rape and three counts of sexual battery involving two women. Last month he pleaded not guilty to all charges, and Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth set bond at $65,000.
Defense attorney Chris Pagan asked Spaeth to set reasonable bond, noting Jackson is a life-long resident of Oxford and his parents also live in the city.
"My client is presumed innocent," Pagan said. "He has not only a constitutional right to bond, but a right to reasonable bond."
Pagan noted the purpose of bond is to ensure appearance and pointed to Jackson’s close family ties in Butler County.
Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Kelly Heile asked the judge to consider the seriousness of the crimes and the number of victims when setting bond.
Bond was set at $1 million for Jackson by a magistrate during a video arraignment in county area court on the original charges before the indictment was handed down.
When Spaeth set the bond at $65,000, he ordered Jackson not to operate his taxi service, not to leave Butler County and to report to pre-trial services.
According to a motion for revoke bond filed Tuesday by Heile, "Oxford Police Department has also received a report that defendant is riding in the passenger seat for the taxi service, in his maroon Grand Prix. He is not taking fares himself, but is riding with an employee."
On Dec. 26, Any Time Fitness also contacted Oxford police concerning Jackson’s actions over the years and women complaining about his behavior as they worked out. After Jackson’s arrest, the owner said Jackson’s membership was canceled, but that he also continued to call and show up at the gym banging on the doors and windows, according to the motion.
Also in the motion are allegations that Jackson contacted a Miami University student stating "Well it’s your boy Sherman. And FYI those females are lying on me I didn’t do that what the media said, I am not that kind of person…"
Two Oxford restaurants also lodged complaints against Jackson regarding his behavior against women, according to the motion.
Jackson was taken back into custody Wednesday pending a bond hearing that has been scheduled for Jan. 11.
Two women filed separate reports with police accusing Jackson, 38, of the 5200 block of College Corner Pike, of sexually assaulting them in his vehicle, according to Oxford police. The incidents were reported on Dec. 8 and 9.
The first alleged victim called 911 at about 12:35 a.m. Dec. 8 from West Collins Street and reported she had been assaulted, according to the police report.
The second incident was reported by a woman who said she was assaulted between 1:30 and 4 a.m. Dec. 9 on Brown Road, according to the report.
The first woman called 911 three times early Friday, once screaming, “Let me out, let me out” and then hanging up.
Dispatchers called the woman back and were able to determine she was at the McDonald’s on South Locust Street.
"He was supposed to drop me off at home," the woman sobbed in the call. "As soon as I got in the cab, he said he was going to take me to McDonald's. I said, ‘No I want to go home.'"
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Correction: An early version of this story had the headline "Taxi driver accused of raping Miami students assaulted more women while out on bail, police say." While court documents said women complained about Jackson's behavior at the gym, those documents did not explicitly allege assault, so the headline was incorrect. The headline was created by a WCPO editor, not the reporter. WCPO regrets this error.
