HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A 60-year-old man has been convicted of sexual battery that happened more than 30 years ago.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said this week Phillip Coward was convicted on two counts of sexual battery with a weapon for the 1988 rape of a young mother.
Deputies said in November 1988, the woman fell asleep on the couch and woke up to an unknown man holding a knife to her throat. The man threatened to stab her if she screamed or fought back. Deputies said the man sexually battered the woman twice before leaving the home.
Responding deputies found a knife outside the woman's home and said it had been taken from her kitchen knife block. A physical exam was done on the woman, but the case eventually went cold.
Two years ago, as part of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's rape kit backlog purge, the exam kit was analyzed and a DNA profile of a man was identified. The investigation was reactivated and Coward was arrested on June 11, 2018.
Deputies said the woman did not know him.
Coward's sentencing is set for Feb. 13, 2020.
The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-HOPE. It partners with more than 1,000 local sexual assault service providers and operates the Safe Helpline for the Department of Defense to provide resources and immediate help.
You can also get help anytime online here.
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