Police called when man allegedly sets girlfriend’s car on fire, find the couple allegedly having sex on Jacksonville Beach

A bizarre story of an alleged domestic argument followed by what appears to be make-up sex on Jacksonville Beach landed both the boyfriend and girlfriend in jail last week. Police were called after witnesses said Kathy Granone and her boyfriend David Aiuppy were arguing and throwing objects out of their car in a Jacksonville Beach parking lot, according to a report by First Coast News, Granone apparently walked away from the car and toward the beach. Aiuppy allegedly lit the car on fire, and then followed her to the beach, the television station reported.

Police arrived to investigate the car fire and witnesses pointed the couple out on the beach. The two were allegedly having sex in the middle of the beach at 5:40 p.m., a time when their actions were visible to everyone nearby, the television station reported. Both are facing an exposure of sexual organs charge, a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in the county jail. Granone is also charged with resisting an officer without violence in Jacksonville, another first-degree misdemeanor. Aiuppy is charged with Duval County arson – a far more serious case. In Aiuppy’s case, because he allegedly knew there was no one in the car when he set it on fire, he is charged with a second-degree felony and facing up to 15 years in state prison. In cases where the suspect either knew or should have known a building or vehicle had people inside, the charge would be a first-degree felony with a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.

One question people often ask in regards to any Jacksonville Sex Crimes case is whether it will result in them having to register as a sex offender. People are very familiar with the law and fear they’ll have to go through that process for any sex crime they are accused of. In this case, exposure of sexual organs is a misdemeanor and would NOT require either Granone or Aiuppy to register as a sex offender if either are eventually convicted or plead guilty to the charges.

Sex offender registration is something to be avoided if at all possible. It restricts how close a person can live from a school and requires a person to notify law enforcement every time he or she moves residences. The part most defendants dislike the most is that neighbors are notified of your sex crime as soon as you move. That doesn’t even happen for people who served time for murder. In this Jacksonville Sex Crimes case, it appears to be a mistake made in a volatile relationship and certainly not worthy of branding the couple as sex offenders for the rest of their lives.

If you or a loved one needs a criminal defense attorney in Jacksonville or the surrounding area, call The Mussallem Law Firm at (904) 365-5200 for a FREE CONSULTATION. Our Jacksonville Sex Crimes Attorney, Victoria “Tori” Mussallem, is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.