Knoxville police raced to Market Square after they were alerted that a woman was assaulted by a man just after 7 a.m. on Tuesday, September 6.
Police said the woman had been jogging near the subway when the unknown man attacked her.
Several bystanders quickly came to help the woman and she managed to escape with minor injuries, according to police. The suspect managed to flee the scene by the time officers arrived.
State officials said 6,106 people in Tennessee were sexually assaulted in 2019. It added that in that year, 22 out of every 25 sexual assault victims were women.
Knoxville police carried out an investigation into the attempted kidnap and rape and identified the suspect as Japa Goins, 34.
Goins, a registered sex offender, was located and apprehended at the probation and parole board on Elm Street at about 10 a.m. the same day and was taken into custody.
According to police, Goins admitted to the assault in an interview with Violent Crimes Unit investigators.
He is set to be charged with aggravated kidnapping and attempted rape. Police added additional charges are possible.
Knoxville Police Department (KPD) Chief of Police Paul Noel said: “I am incredibly proud of the great urgency and teamwork our investigators and patrol officers showed to bring this incident to an almost immediate resolution.
“I am also thankful for the bystanders who jumped in to help when help was needed. People should feel and be safe in every public space in our city and we will respond quickly to address any actions or behavior that compromises that sense of safety.”
Newsweek has contacted the KPD for comment.
There have been numerous cases across the U.S. where registered sex offenders have been apprehended after attempting crimes. Last month, an Arizona mother managed to fight off a registered sex offender who broke into her home and snuck into her daughter’s bedroom, according to police.
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office said it was alerted to reports that 54-year-old Lloyd Beard, from Prescott, broke into the home.
The mother was able to remove Beard from the home and later chased him down to prevent him from escaping. He was arrested in connection with the break-in.
