A South Dakota woman pleaded guilty to making a false police report after she claimed an assailant raped her in Florida, police say.
Renee Dawn Skoglund, 30, was arrested in Sioux Falls on March 10 after reporting sexual battery in Hillsborough County two days before. She was charged with misuse of a 911 system, false report of a crime and fabricating physical evidence.
In 911 audio released by Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Skoglund claimed that she pulled over to the side of I-75 after having some car trouble. She then reported that a male suspect put a towel over her head, shoved her in the car and raped her while her arms and legs were tied.
Skoglund told police that a particular type of rope was used, and authorities discovered that the product was sold at nearby Walmart stores. During a thorough search of local Walmart locations, police saw surveillance video of Skoglund buying the rope.
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"Following this discovery, detectives recovered video from multiple places Mrs. Skoglund visited in the time surrounding the attack, refuting her initial statements," Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. "[Skoglund] attempted to change her statements before eventually admitting to fabricating the entire incident."
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, Skoglund – who was married at the time – fabricated the rape to get a free STD test.
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"She had consensual sexual intercourse with an individual in Hillsborough County," prosecutor Jessica Couvertier said in court, according to FOX 13. "Then she felt guilty about it because of her marital status, and she wanted to get checked out for a sexually transmitted disease."
"This case is truly disheartening," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a press release in May. "There are far too many victims faced with this type of trauma. This woman took advantage of our 911 emergency line and diverted attention from actual victims who need the viable resources available in these investigative scenarios."
Skoglund was sentenced to two years of community control – a form of house arrest – and eight years of probation, FOX 13 reported. She also owes the sheriff's office $17,245.26 for the resources they expended while investigating her report.