UPDATE: Haskins pleads to felony battery, sexual assault case closed

UPDATE:

The charge of sexual assault by person over 18 on a victim over age 12 under age 18 without physical force-violence against Jamison Shane Haskins, 41, was recorded as closed on the Washington County Clerk of Court website as of April 13. The case status now reflects that the case was disposed on April 6.

PREVIOUS STORY:

A former temporary street worker for the City of Vernon pled guilty to two counts of felony battery earlier this month.

41-year-old Jamison Shane Haskins was facing multiple lewd and lascivious molestation and sexual battery on a victim less than 12 but pled down to felony battery. 

Haskins, of Vernon, was initially arrested in July 2021 after an investigation that began the previous fall. According to court documents, the initial charges of abuse were reported to the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center by the alleged victim, now an adult. The victim divulged multiple incidents of molestation she states happened during her childhood with Haskins named as the perpetrator of those acts.

As part of the plea deal, Haskins was sentenced to three years in the Florida Department of Corrections with credit for time served as well as seven years of probation once released.

Haskins also has another case pending in Washington County where he is facing a charge of sexual assault by person over 18 on a victim over age 12 under age 18 without physical force-violence.

The charge stems from an incident that allegedly occurred when the victim was in seventh or eighth grade. In the affidavit of complaint, the victim states that they and a friend were babysitting at Haskins’ mother’s home while the two adults went out. It is alleged Haskins returned and provided the minors with alcohol, with the victim stating “the rest of the night is foggy†but remembers being led into a bedroom by Haskins who allegedly had his hand over the victim’s mouth at one point. 

The friend in a statement to investigators stated, “Haskins returned and asked if we wanted a drink and we responded we did. He then went outside and mixed the drinks and brought them back to us. We didn’t realize how much we had drank but the bottle of Wild Turkey was half empty.â€

The friend goes on to state that they had passed out on the couch but when they awoke, the victim was no longer in the room. The friend went and found the victim sleeping and got into bed with them. 

Later in the investigation, a statement was provided by someone who knew Haskins, who allegedly confessed to assaulting the minors. The statement reads as follows: “Mr. Haskins confessed to me that he had [redacted] with the victim and friend. Haskins went on to state the three had been drinking and the victim was wearing short shorts. The witness said Haskins stated, ‘They were acting like [redacted], so he decided to show them what it was like to be a [redacted].’ Once the other occupant of the house was asleep, Haskins had sex with the minors.â€

A pre-trial conference on this charge is set for May 15 at 9 a.m. This is an ongoing story and the Washington County News will continue coverage of these cases.