'Southern Charm'' s Thomas Ravenel Arrested Amid Allegation He Raped Nanny

Thomas Ravenel was accused of sexual assault in May

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Published on September 25, 2018 12:07 PM

Thomas Ravenel has been charged with assault and battery in the second degree after a woman who worked as his children’s nanny accused him of rape, Charleston County jail records show.

The former Southern Charm star, 56, was booked at 10:11 a.m. on Tuesday by the Charleston City Police Department. A court date is not named, and his bond amount is stated as $0.00. The reason for confinement is listed as physical arrest.

Bravo confirms that Ravenel will not be returning as a cast member next season. Ravenel’s attorney did not immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Local Live 5 News reporter Harve Jacobs tweeted about Ravenel’s appearance in bond court on Tuesday, saying he was granted a $20,000 personal recognizance bond and was ordered to turn in his passport, avoid contact with the victim and not leave South Carolina.

Police began investigating Ravenel in May after a woman reported him for sexual assault. A former nanny to his children named Dawn claimed to PEOPLE that she is that woman and alleged that, while his daughter was sleeping nearby, he “corralled” her into the master bedroom, dropped his pants, blocked the door and “proceeded to rip my clothes off.” Without going into further detail, Dawn said she eventually got away.

A source tells PEOPLE that Ravenel’s arrest is connected to her allegations. The arrest report lists the crime incident as “sex offense/forcible rape” and refers to an incident in January 2015, although most details have been redacted to protect the victim. And Jacobs tweeted that Ravenel’s accuser did appear in court Tuesday.

“Although I believe he should be in jail for his crimes, the reality according to statistics is that he will go unpunished,” Dawn previously told PEOPLE. “I feel the only justice I will receive is to share my story in the efforts to educate the public and support assault survivors.”

She said she took action after hearing the story of real estate agent Ashley Perkins, who publicly accused Ravenel of assaulting her mom Debbie Holloway Perkins after they met on Tinder in October 2015.

Ashley told PEOPLE that her mother Debbie Holloway Perkins went on a first date with Ravenel on Dec. 25, 2015.

“He pushes my mom onto the nanny’s bed, grabs her wrist with one hand, then he starts trying to pull her pants off,” Ashley told PEOPLE. “And she’s like ‘No, no, no, stop.’ He stuck his fingers inside of her vagina as well as her anus. She told me that he held her hands back with one arm and then pulled his penis out and shoved it in her face.”

“My client enjoys a certain degree of fame, which has unfortunately made him a vulnerable target for such claims,” Ravenel’s attorney, Richard P. Terbrusch, told PEOPLE in a statement responding to Ashley’s allegations. “The person this woman describes is simply not the man that I know. My client is a loving father, successful businessman, and upright member of the community. He is appalled and hurt by these allegations — and is committed to defending his reputation in the appropriate legal forum.”

Ravenel announced his decision to quit Southern Charm in August.

Updated by

Dave Quinn