Past victim of horse stable owner charged with raping a teen advocating for more victims to come forward

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - When Karissa Peel saw the headline announcing the arrest of Christiana horseback riding coach Jason Lancaster, she sadly, wasn’t surprised.

In 2008, Peel says she went to police to report Lancaster for sexual misconduct, when she was one of his students at Blackman High School. In that case, Lancaster would reportedly take a plea for soliciting a minor to commit rape and his record was later erased.

Lancaster, 51, was charged Sept. 28 for raping a teenage girl, according to the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office. Police say he owned Pinnacle Stables in Christiana, which offered horseback rides and lessons.

“Knowing that he was able to be around minor children when I found out that he had the barn, I knew that something would happen. It made me sick, it made me sick to my stomach,” Peel said.

The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office believes Lancaster could have used his position at the horse stable to prey on other victims. Peel is now speaking out, advocating for other young girls or women who were victimized, to come forward.

“The main reason that I’m so vocal about this is to get a sense of peace and comfort; security for the past victims all the way from 1993 [when Lancaster started teaching] to two months ago,” Peel said. “I’m a person that completely understands what they went through. I’m just like them, and if I got through it, I know I can help them get through it too.”

Lancaster is charged with two felony counts of rape, three counts of statutory rape by an authority figure, three counts of sexual battery by an authority figure, bribery of a witness, and stalking, according to the sheriff’s office.

Deputies say he could face more charges, as the investigation is still active.

“I knew when he was expunged that I would be seeing him in the news again, and here we are again in 2023 and he’s progressed to far worse,” Peel said. “And if we continue to let him get away with this and pay his way out of this, we’ll just see him again in another 5 or 6 years and I want to avoid that.”

After a bond hearing next week, Lancaster is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 8. He is being held on a $1 million bond.

“I think that victims of him and victims of other predators, it’s time for you to come forward it’s time for you to speak your truth and let go of your trauma, and get the justice that you deserve,” Peel said. “You are stronger than you know, you can get through anything, God gives his hardest battles to his strongest warriors and there’s a reason why he put his trials and tribulations in front of you, and you can overcome them.”

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