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Jeff Marsalis: Doctor Date Rape, Story Of Jessica Rovell On ID’s ‘Web Of Lies’

By Traciy Reyes
Published on: 04:20 PST, Mar 21, 2017

Handsome Jeff Marsalis told the women that he was a doctor, astronaut, and CIA operative. However, authorities say that the man known as Dr. Jeff was a predator and rapist of more than a dozen women in Philadelphia during the 2000s. Web Of Lies on Investigation Discovery will profile the story on an episode of Web Of Lies. The successful Investigation Discovery show gives various accounts of people who have been duped online, which often have led to their deaths. In the Jeffrey J. Marsalis case, he didn’t kill anyone. However, he did kill the peace of mind and the self-esteem of many of his victims, this Web Of Lies episode, titled “Playing Doctor,” will recount.

On Web Of Lies: Doctor Date Rapist Jeffrey Marsalis Had Many Identities

Jeffrey Marsalis (Dr. Jeff) was a handsome and highly intelligent man. That’s how authorities say he portrayed himself on the online dating website Match.com. He wanted a certain kind of woman, a high-quality woman that he could lure into his web of deceit, according to ABC News.

These women were no shrinking violets. They were polished and powerful, according to one investigator. Jeff Marsalis definitely got a kick out of fooling them, drugging them, and then raping them. However, there was something more. Not only did Dr. Jeff violate the women, but he also left some of his victims coming back for more.

According to police records, after a night of sexually assaulting the women, evidence showed that some of the victims called him multiple times after the rape and held long conversations with him. Some even admitted to having consensual sex with him.

It was a matter that confused the investigation and led to an acquittal. The question became: was this rape or consensual sex? Investigators say that it was definitely rape for all. But that for some, it turned into consensual sex after the fact. Still, the women had been horribly violated, and their actions after the rapes were not particularly unusual, experts say.

What happens many times is that the women rationalize in their minds that nothing really bad happened. Jeff Marsalis looked like a normal guy, and some of these women believed that he was really a doctor. So perhaps, in their minds, it wasn’t as serious as it seemed.

But for Jessica Rovell, also known as Jessika Rovell, it was always serious. And the sexual assault that he unleashed upon her deserved severe punishment.

Detectives did everything they could to build a strong case against him. After all, they had dozens of real-looking fake documents that seemed to back up his identity. Jeff Marsalis was a great impostor. He put on a doctor’s uniform and entered the medical facilities, where he even spoke to hospital staff.

All of Jeff Marsalis’ costumes looked real, even the astronaut uniform, Care2 suggests.

They say Jeff Marsalis flashed a wicked smile when he was found not guilty during the first trial, a verdict that made his victims physically sick.

In the end, the women had the last laugh as a judge finally sentenced Marsalis to 10 to 21 years in prison.

ABC News provides a glance at the impressive profile information that Jeff Marsalis posted on his Match.com profile.

“I have to say that I am highly driven, and I am looking for that special someone that has the same qualities…. I am also looking for a woman to be a leader and take the initiative and make things happen for herself, and not blaming others for incidentals that might happen along the way during the pathway of life…. If you want to be my copilot on the magic carpet ride it’s carry on only, that means no stop signs, no stop lights, and throttle up.”

The story of Jeffrey Marsalis and Jessica ‘Jessika’ Rovell airs tonight at 9 p.m. on Investigation Discovery (ID). Weeks earlier, Web Of Lies profiled the case of Lacey Spears.

[Featured Image by Matt Rourke/AP Images]

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