MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Rutherford County stable owner already locked up and accused of sex crimes is now in more trouble.
Jason Lancaster faces more than a dozen additional rape charges and a separate case is accused of animal cruelty.
It's been more than a month now since Lancaster was arrested and accused of sexual misconduct with a minor, but investigators insisted the case remain open.
Now we know why.
Lancaster is the owner of Pinnacle Stables in Rutherford County.
The 51-year-old was arrested in September when he made his first and only court appearance.
At the time, that was just one of ten charges including rape and sexual battery.
"I knew this day was coming. I've known for 15 years this day was coming," said Karissa Sue Peel.
Peel was a 17-year-old student who reported to Lancaster back in 2008.
He was arrested back then and pleaded guilty to solicitation of a minor to commit aggravated statutory rape.
Lancaster served no jail time, and his record was expunged after four years.
"He should never have been allowed off the sex offender registry list," she said. "He should never have been allowed to open a barn where he could groom more than horses."
Peel predicted after Lancaster's arrest last month there would be more to the case.
She was right.
He is now booked on a total of thirty-one charges:
- From two to three felony counts of rape
- From three to nine counts of statutory rape by an authority figure
- From three to seven counts of sexual battery
- One count each of stalking, bribery, and tampering with evidence.
And to add to all that nine counts of animal cruelty.
Those are separate from the sex cases. Detectives had removed several horses from Lancaster's stable in bad shape, malnourished, and with body sores.
They are now getting proper care and as you see in these photos are doing better. But their treatment led to the cruelty charges.
Lancaster remains locked up in the Rutherford County jail on a one-million-dollar bond. The case still remains open against him, and the possibility of even more charges exists.
Anyone with more information on this case is asked to contact the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office.
