A creep who tried to rape a Central Park sunbather was slapped with a 13-year prison sentence Wednesday as the resilient victim recalled how the attack tore her “from spaces in the city I used to love.”
Jermaine Longmire, 45, received the time behind bars for tackling the 21-year-old victim and pinning her to the ground before she bravely fended off the sicko, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said.
The victim urged the judge to dole out the maximum prison term to Longmire as she described how her life was forever altered following the June 2024 assault.
“My body became stuck in a constant state of fight or flight, and all the things I used to love about living in a big city became my largest sources of anxiety,” she said in a victim impact statement read by Assistant District Attorney Christina Awad in court.
“Walking around outside and taking the train, tasks that used to be so simple and mundane, became hardships to overcome.”
Longmire crept up to the woman while she was soaking up sun in the Great Hills section of the massive Big Apple park on her day off from work and exposed himself to her in the middle of the day on June 24, 2024.
The startled woman screamed for help and tried to flee, but Longmire grabbed her from behind and pinned her to the ground as he tried to rape her, prosecutors said.
The woman bravely fought back against the brazen pervert and sent him running.
The victim, a Seattle native, didn’t want to address the actual attack in her statement to the court, but discussed the grueling aftermath.
She said she quit her job at a coffee shop and moved to another borough. She saw two therapists and focused on achieving small goals – like walking alone down a block – even as she struggled to sleep and was triggered by the sound of sirens.
Still, she persevered and was able to complete school, get a new job and continue living in the city despite the PTSD she suffered.
“When he chose to attack me that day, I was stripped of my agency and bodily autonomy,” according to her statement read by Awad.
“I was made to feel helpless and unsafe in a place that once felt like an extension of home. I was torn from spaces in the city I used to love, robbed of so much time and of my ability to operate as an independent young adult.”
Longmire has past criminal convictions in New York and Florida, including a 2018 case when he tried to sexually assault a woman at a Sunshine State medical facility where he was also a resident, according to prosecutors.
He was convicted of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, prosecutors said.
On top of the 13 years in prison, Longmire received 15 years of post-release supervision. Prosecutors hailed the decision.
“Jermaine Longmire is facing significant time in state prison for attempting to rape a woman who was trying to enjoy her day off in Central Park. New Yorkers and visitors alike deserve to feel safe in Manhattan’s parks,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
“I want to thank the survivor for bravely testifying in this trial. I hope this sentencing can offer a sense of closure as she continues to heal from this traumatic assault.”
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