Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announces ten felony charges against violent career criminal including sexual battery and multiple armed offenses

Tallahassee, Florida – A Tampa man described by prosecutors as a violent career offender is now facing a long list of serious felony charges after a disturbing case that authorities say involved sexual abuse, armed invasion, and brutal physical violence.

James Uthmeier announced that 29-year-old Derrick Speights Jr. has been charged with ten felonies, including sexual battery and multiple violent crimes tied to a September 2025 attack that left a victim hospitalized in critical condition.

Officials say the case represents one of the most severe patterns of violence handled in recent months, involving coordinated investigative work across multiple law enforcement agencies.

“The victim in this case fought through what could have been her last breath, and our prosecutors will fight to bring justice in court,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “I am grateful to our law enforcement partners at the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Tampa Police Department for working the investigation and getting this dangerous felon back behind bars.”

According to investigators, the incident began on September 28, 2025, when Speights allegedly met the victim online before traveling to her home. Prosecutors say he arrived armed with a handgun and then carried out a violent assault inside the residence.

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Authorities allege the victim was repeatedly beaten and sexually assaulted during the attack. Officials further stated that the level of violence was so severe that the victim required hospitalization and was left in a condition described as unrecognizable.

During the course of the alleged crime, Speights is also accused of stealing multiple personal belongings, including the victim’s phone, purse, cash, house keys, and vehicle keys. Law enforcement later recovered the victim’s abandoned vehicle one week after the incident, adding another layer to the ongoing investigation.

The case took a significant step forward when DNA evidence collected at the scene was matched to Speights, according to officials. That forensic link became a key factor in the charges that followed.

Speights was eventually taken into custody on March 6, 2026, after being arrested on a separate, unrelated warrant. Following his arrest, investigators formally connected him to the September case through the ongoing investigation.

He is now facing a wide range of felony charges, including armed burglary of a dwelling, sexual battery with great bodily harm or a deadly weapon, home invasion robbery, aggravated battery, armed false imprisonment, grand theft, grand theft of a motor vehicle, tampering with a witness, felon in possession of a firearm, and use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony.

Many of the charges carry the possibility of life sentences if a conviction is secured in court.

Speights is currently being held without bond at the Falkenburg Road Jail in Hillsborough County as the case moves forward through the legal system.

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Prosecutors emphasized the seriousness of the allegations, noting that the charges reflect both the violent nature of the incident and the extent of the evidence gathered during the investigation.

The case was developed through cooperation between the Office of Statewide Prosecution, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department.

Officials say the collaborative effort was critical in building the case and ensuring the suspect was identified, arrested, and held accountable.

The prosecution will be handled by Special Counsel to the Attorney General Rita Peters in Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, where proceedings are expected to continue as the case moves toward trial preparation.

If convicted on all counts, Speights faces multiple life sentences in the Florida Department of Corrections, marking what prosecutors describe as a major step in addressing violent repeat offenders within the state’s justice system.