JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — *Warning: Some social media posts linked contain explicit language.
A former Jacksonville tattoo artist, identified by dozens of women on social media as being the perpetrator of unwanted sexual advances, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
James Ranieri was arrested by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office in August 2021 and charged with three counts of sexual battery as a result of multiple investigations conducted by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
Court records show two additional charges were later added.
Ranieri pled guilty to all five charges on March 18, according to CORE documents.
On that same date, records show he was sentenced to 10 years in state prison, with credit for time served. After his release, records indicate he will be required to register as a sexual predator and be on sexual offender probation for 15 years.
He will also have to pay for the counseling for all the victim’s he impacted, according to court records.
In April of 2021, the lead singer of Bayside, Anthony Raneri, posted a warning on Instagram that James Ranieri was claiming to be related to him in order to gain favor with women.
"It has come to my attention that a tattooer named from Solid State Tattoo in Jacksonville, FL is telling women on social media that he is my cousin..." said Anthony Raneri. "This isn't true, and I don't know this person."
JSO says Ranieri was a prominent tattoo artist and due to his occupation had frequent contact with the community; therefore, the possibility exists there may be more victims.
Anthony Raneri of Bayside says he was able to use some experiences shared with him to give information to authorities in Jacksonville.
"After making my post yesterday, it's heartbreaking to see all these comments and messages come in about James Ranieri... I was able to get in touch with the Mayor's office and then got the attention of the sheriff's office and state attorney."
Dozens of women on social media claim to have had some sort of unwanted encounter with him. Their names have been removed for privacy.
- "A huge weight has been lifted off of many shoulders this morning #****jamesranieri."
- "Raise your hand if you’ve ever been a victim of James Ranieri. Today’s a GREAT day. May this scumbag rot in hell"
- "Multiple sexual battery charges. This is just the beginning. What an amazing day. Thanks for all your support of the women in this situation"
- "Such a win for any of the 100+ women, such as myself, who dealt with harassment from this POS"