Gainesville Man Arrested on Gilchrist County Warrant for Sexual Battery Against Minor

On January 4, 2025, Philip Milton Marks, 35, was booked into the Alachua County Jail on a Gilchrist County warrant of four counts of lewd and lascivious behavior.

On August 25, 2022, a Michigan Health Department employee called the Gilchrist County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) after receiving a report about sexual abuse incidents occurring when the victim lived in Gilchrist with her then stepfather, Marks.

On September 26, 2022, GCSO received a report from Michigan State Police on a sexual abuse incident occurring by Marks against the victim in 2019. One month later, GCSO received a recorded interview between the victim’s mother and Michigan State Police.  

The victim’s mother stated that Marks molested the victim while she was on a walk with her other child. She said Marks took the victim into the woods and threatened to rape her. She said Marks was always angry, groped her in front of her kids, and would often smack her children. She told Michigan State Police that she can’t remember the last time in the past decade she and Marks had consensual sex. 

The victim’s mother reported Marks making disturbing statements, and she believes that Marks has raped sex workers.  

Marks threatened to kill the victim’s mother if she ever left him or told police. Marks told her he never stops thinking about hurting people. 

The victim’s mother reported Marks’ sexual abuse to the State Attorney’s Office and GCSO Detective Trent Kelle Freeman, but nothing was done. 

Freeman was arrested in 2021 by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) on two counts of uttering a forged instrument and one count of scheming to defraud.  

The victim told Michigan State Police that Marks pressured her, threatened her family, and sexually battered her on multiple occasions. 

On February 24, 2021, GSCO Deputy John Dyle responded to the victim’s mother’s residence to provide security while she escaped Marks’ domestic abuse.

The report states, “Deputy Dyle provided an escort to the Columbia County Line and completed a narrative supplement which stated that he observed Phillip Marks driving a green Ford Ranger, which was registered to Phillip Marks, driving back and forth through the area. At some point after [the victims] entered Columbia County, Phillip Marks crashed his vehicle into [their] vehicle. Phillips was subsequently convicted of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in Columbia County.”  

CCSO reported, “Marks has ties to Alachua, Gilchrist and Marion counties.”

On January 24, 2023, Dyle interviewed the victim’s mother, and she said she’s afraid of Marks getting out of prison and coming after her and her family. 

Dyle reported “I explained to [the victim’s mother] about the investigative process and provided her with my contact information…. I requested [the victim’s mother] contact her local law enforcement agency [in Michigan] and write a sworn statement.”

The victim’s mother emailed Dyle texts Marks sent where he made sexually abusive remarks towards her. 

In February 2023, Michigan State Police sent Dyle the victim’s mother’s sworn statement. 

In May 2023, the victim conducted an interview with GCSO where she gave them more details on four instances where Marks sexually battered her and several more instances of physical abuse and sexual assault. The victim told police she believes Marks would track down her and her family if released. 

Marks’ scheduled release date for his February 2021 offenses was October 5, 2024; however, he was released early in July 2024 and began living in Gainesville. 

In August 2024, GCSO Officer Benita Rolling spoke with the victim’s mother about Marks' release. The victim’s mother stated Marks’ brother “had contacted her (not at Phillip's request) and stated that Phillip [Marks] had told his brother about the allegations and that he would kill himself, possibly suicide by cop, if anything were to come of it.”

The victim’s mother stated Marks “will hurt anyone he can, including law enforcement, when [they] approach him about the allegations.” She said she didn’t think Marks would travel across the country to hurt them but that she was worried. 

On November 24, 2024, Judge David Kreider issued an arrest warrant for Marks and set his bond at $2,000,000.

Marks was transferred to Gilchrist County Jail shortly after his arrest.