Ex-wife describes dark past about man accused of raping hospital worker

MARION COUNTY, Fla. — Robert Hicks' ex-wife spoke to Channel 9's Myrt Price about her marriage with Hicks and why she hopes he never gets out of jail.

Hicks is accused of robbing, beating and raping a woman he kidnapped in the parking lot of West Marion Community Hospital earlier this week in Ocala, police said.

Nicole Bentley, Hick's ex-wife, told Eyewitness News that she called 911 several times for help because of Hicks, but that she never pursued charges because she was afraid of him.

"I threw up, I threw up, it made me sick to my stomach,” Bentley said of her reaction to the allegations surrounding her ex-husband.

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"He called my mother and he wanted to give his side of the story to relay a message to me,” Bentley said.

Bentley said as many as eight of his 26 arrests during the past two decades were for attacking her.

"He was the most likeable, fun guy, and people would not believe he had this dark side,” Bentley said.

Bentley said she reported to police some of the gruesome things she said Hicks did to her, which he is also accused of doing to the rape victim.

"I'm not going to get into the things that I experienced because I went through intense therapy to move on from that,” Bentley said.

Bentley said she even had to tell her kids about the allegations regarding Hicks.

"My 14-year-old took it the hardest, my son,” Bentley said. “My daughter says she doesn't have a father anymore."

Bentley said Hicks did two years of jail time for drugs, because she said she never had to courage to pursue charges for any other allegations.

"He was very good at convincing me he was sorry and would never do it again, so I dropped charges several times,” Bentley said.

Bentley believes that had she been able to put Hicks in jail and fought to keep him there, the hospital worker would never have been allegedly attacked.

"If I could say anything to that woman, I would tell her that, ‘I am sorry, for not taking initiative and not putting him behind bars and keeping him there,’" Bentley said.

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