Orange-Osceola State Attorney Monique Worrell backed her office’s approval of a seemingly light sentence for a man accused of attempting to rape a jogger in College Park, whose release from jail has resulted in a backlash from residents and increased scrutiny of the prosecutor who handled his case.
Tyler Gene Feight, 26, was accused of felony battery and attempted sexual battery for an incident in April. He pleaded no contest to the felony battery charge as part of a deal letting him avoid added jail time, instead receiving a 255-day credit for jail time served following his arrest. He was released from the Orange County Jail on Nov. 20.
At a press conference on Thursday, Worrell said Feight’s sentence was appropriate for the charges he faced given the Florida Criminal Punishment Code, which provides guidelines for criminal sentences based on a tallied score. She said sentencing Feight to prison would have gone over and above these guidelines, as he scored 11 points on the scale while needing at least 44 points for a prison sentence.
Tyler Gene Feight, 26, was arrested Thursday, April 10, 2025, on charges of battery and attempted sexual battery, according to the Orlando Police Department. (Courtesy of Orlando Police Department)
“Could he have been given a prison sentence? Yes,” she said. “But again, it would have been outside the realm that has been designated by the Legislature of what an appropriate sentence would be in this case.”
She also emphasized the victim in the case also approved the plea deal.
Worrell praised Assistant State Attorney Zachary Cole, who handled the case and negotiated the plea deal, for ensuring Feight had to serve three years of probation with special conditions, including the need for psychosexual evaluation and treatment and staying away from the victim and the area where the attack occurred.
“[Cole] went above and beyond,” she said. “…Those were the steps further this prosecutor took to ensure the safety of this community.”
Feight’s release prompted outrage in a Facebook group for College Park residents. Several people claimed that he’d been spotted recently in the neighborhood, with one post alleging that he had lunged at people, including children.
Worrell said she understands the community’s fears, but said her office’s hands were tied.
“The state has done all that we can do within the confines of the law to ensure community safety,” she said. “That doesn’t negate the feelings of the members of that community. I certainly understand and appreciate their concern.”
She acknowledged Cole made an administrative error when he checked a box stating that Feight’s adjudication be withheld, meaning that a guilty verdict wasn’t issued, instead of having him be adjudicated. She that such errors aren’t entirely unexpected given the number of cases prosecutors typically have. Cole had a caseload of more than 400, she said.
Worrell added that the error didn’t effect Feight’s sentencing and that it didn’t impact his status as a convicted felon since he was already a convicted felon due to a previous legal case.
