Being falsely accused of sexual assault can ruin your life. People are very quick to judge before all the facts come to light. Even if the accuser later recants the story and says it was made up, people tend to only remember the accusations. It can impact your life in many negative ways and make it difficult to move forward. You may wonder if there is any recourse? Can you sue someone in Florida if that person falsely accuses you a sexual assault?
Your best choice is probably bringing a defamation lawsuit, according to the Digital Media Law Project. Because everyone seems to take to social media to talk about things, the chances are good that your accuser posted the accusations against you somewhere. Even if he or she only talked about you being guilty or told others you were guilty, this would work because all it takes is someone publishing a false statement about you that someone else besides you and the author reads. In addition, since a false accusation leads to some type of injury to you, it becomes defamation under the law.
Now, keep in mind that when the news stations report on the accusations, you cannot sue them for defamation since they are simply reporting information told to them. This is why you will always see someone referred to as being allegedly the perpetrator until a court hands down a guilty verdict.
However, if your accuser took to social media to tell his or her story and say negative things about you, then you may have a strong defamation case. This information is for education and is not legal advice.