PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A 59-year-old man in Pinellas County has been charged with armed sexual battery for a 1999 Dunedin battery, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office says Gregory Thompson, 59, was charged when detectives identified him after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement conducted additional DNA testing from the case.

Back on Nov. 15, 1999, deputies were called to a Dunedin home after a report of sexual battery. Detectives say the victim, 30-years-old at the time, left her house for a short time and left it unlocked. Thompson reportedly entered the home, hid inside, and attacked when the victim returned, threatening her with a knife.

Inside the home, Thompson forced the victim to perform oral sex on him, according to the sheriff’s office. After, he ordered her to take a shower to destroy evidence, but she locked herself inside the bathroom and started screaming for help. Unable to get into the bathroom, Thompson reportedly fled.

The victim waited until she thought Thompson was gone, then immediately called law enforcement.

The Pinellas County Sheriff says that in 2020, detectives resubmitted the DNA evidence from the case, originally collected in 1999, to FDLE. A profile of the suspect was made and uploaded into national and state databases. Thompson’s DNA profile was already in the database from a previous conviction, and the resubmitted evidence matched.

Detectives met Thompson at his home on May 5, where he denied the allegations. Detectives charged him with one count of Armed Sexual Battery and he was taken to the Pinellas County Jail.

No one in Thompson’s neighborhood wanted to speak but 8 On Your Side was able to get in touch with Thompson’s sister-in-law Rosalyn Ellis by phone who says there’s no way Thompson did this.

“I’m like, oh my gosh, there’s no way. There is no way in this world,” Ellis adding. “I don’t believe that DNA test at all. There’s no way. I could bet my life on it. And that’s serious.”

But attorney Roger Futerman who’s not affiliated with this case tells 8 On Your Side this may be a difficult case to defend.

“This is not someone that knew each other. This is someone that is unknown to the victim. So this defendant is going to have a very hard time explaining who his DNA is on this victim’s body,” Futerman said.

Thompson is currently being held for sexual battery with a deadly weapon, a felony charge. He is currently being held in jail without bond and is expected to make his first appearance before a judge tomorrow afternoon.