GoFundMe Surpasses Goal For Ohio Man Who Assaulted Rape Suspect

A GoFundMe established for Rick Adams of Eastlake, Ohio, has far surpassed its goal of $30,000 in just three days. The fundraising page, set up by Adams' uncle, was at $37,111 as of Tuesday afternoon.

Adams received national support after being arrested last week when he attacked a 17-year-old male he caught allegedly sexually assaulting a child inside his home.

“I kinda blacked out,” Adams, who also posted a video of his attack on Facebook, told Fox 8. “I saw a 17-year-old molesting a 5-year-old. I wanted to help the young boy and that was all I was thinking about was getting it stopped.”

Adams, 20, yelled in the house for someone to call 911 while pushing the suspect off of the child and assaulting him. When police arrived, the 17-year-old was charged with rape, but the police also charged Adams with felony assault. He later said he regrets posting video of the attack on social media.

Immediately, Adams saw responses on the GoFundMe page from people who found his actions to be heroic. One contributor, Lynda, for example, wrote in the comments section, "He deserves a medal, not an arrest!!"

“I want everyone to stop all the child offenders and predators out there. I don’t want any child to have to go through that," Adams told reporters. "I am scared. I have a kid on the way and I do want to be there for my child’s birth and that’s the only thing that’s worrying me right now. I almost want to cry saying it."

Adams has no prior criminal record and was released on a $5,000 bond. He is due back in court in April.