MELBOURNE, Fla. — Brevard man accused of Internet dating-ad robbery says he didn't do it
A Brevard County man accused of placing an Internet dating ad to ambush a man told Channel 9's Marisa Mendelson he didn't do it.
William Pease faced a judge Thursday and was denied bond for the alleged crime.
Melbourne police investigators said it started with an ad on Craigslist titled "Ready for you now." The ad reads that "Nothing is off limits, anything goes."
A Melbourne man, who didn't want to be identified, said he placed the ad.
"When I entered the residence all chaos broke out, and I realized what was going on when someone is behind me with a firearm pointed to my head," said the man.
Pease and Nicole Hendershot were arrested and charged with robbery with a firearm, kidnapping, false imprisonment and grand theft.
Pease sat down with Mendelson to explain his side.
"I didn't rob him at all," said Pease.
Pease said he and Hendershot have placed hundreds of similar ads on Craigslist, and dozens of men have responded.
Pease said they posted the ads to try to get money from men -- not by robbing them, but by feeding them a sob story.
"She tells them she just needs help with a water bill or a phone bill, whatever the bill is, and that's where it starts off at. It's never about sex," said Pease.
But when the Melbourne man responded to their ad, Pease said things didn't go according to plan.
"He's the one that was acting real weird and then I had to tell him to leave and then he wanted to pay for gas for a ride home," said Pease.
Police say they found a knife on Pease, but no gun.
Police believe there may have been other victims, lured in by similar ads.
They said they hope that if that's the case, those victims will come forward.
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