Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in the July 25 edition of The Lincoln County Journal. We’ve since updated it in print and online to remove specific details that could lead to the identification of the victim or her family and edited to ensure that the alleged perpetrator is treated as innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. We believe these changes are necessary to protect the privacy and safety of those involved, in accordance with journalistic best practices for reporting on sexual assault and other criminal cases. We appreciate our readers’ understanding as we work to uphold both transparency and compassion in our reporting. 

Four months after pleading guilty to felony domestic assault, a Winfield man was arrested Monday for allegedly raping a woman in August 2024.

The Lincoln County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Jesse Crook, 25, with first-degree rape.

According to court records, Crook allegedly tricked a woman into meeting him on August 21, 2024, in a parking lot of a business in Winfield, claiming a mutual friend had attempted suicide.

When she arrived, the woman saw the friend lying in the backseat of Crook’s vehicle. Crook reportedly told her the man had attempted suicide near the river and asked for her help locating one of his shoes.

According to the probable cause statement, during the drive to a public river access point, the mutual friend exited the vehicle to use the restroom. Once they arrived at the parking area, Crook allegedly assaulted the woman.

Afterward, Crook drove both the woman and the mutual friend back to her car at the business where they initially met.

Later that day, the woman sought medical attention at Mercy Hospital in Troy and reported the incident.

In a subsequent interview with law enforcement, the mutual friend stated that he and Crook had been drinking at the river since midnight and had met a woman there around 12:30 a.m.

The witness said Crook had made inappropriate sexual remarks toward the woman and became angry when she did not reciprocate his interest. Crook then allegedly began burning items from inside his vehicle before driving them away from the river.

Crook is currently being held on a $100,000 cash-only bond. His public defender filed a motion to reduce the bond, arguing that the amount constitutes preventive detention and places Crook at a disadvantage due to his inability to pay. A hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday before Associate Court Judge Michael Jacobs.

Earlier this year, Crook pleaded guilty to two felony counts of domestic assault in a separate case involving a different victim.

According to court records, Crook strangled the woman to the point of unconsciousness in November 2023.

“(Crook) pushed Victim 1 onto their bed and proceeded to strangulate (her) using both of his hands around her neck,” the probable cause statement reads. “Victim 1 stated she was choked to the point where she blacked out for a few moments. (She) then stated (Crook) forcibly held (her) arms down by grabbing her wrists …. (and) threw her to the ground and started choking her again.”

Relatives intervened to stop the assault and removed the victim from the home.

Crook and the woman were reportedly in a domestic relationship at the time of the assault.

He was sentenced in March to five years in prison on each count. However, he was also enrolled in a 120-day institutional program within the Department of Corrections, which he completed on July 18. Successful completion would have made him eligible for probation.

Due to a warrant issued in June related to the rape charge, Crook was transferred from the Department of Corrections to the Lincoln County Jail rather than being released.