27 to life for rape of coed by fellow college student

Former Cuesta College student David Andrew Shenosky was sentenced to 27 to life on Friday, April 22, 2011 for the rape and kidnapping of a fellow student on March 27, 2010. The 23 year old plead no contest under San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge John Trice

After the incident, her eyes had broken blood vessels, consistent with the choking she described, and an examination found that she had been raped, police said. Police found a note on Shenosky’s computer expressing his regret for hurting her. The note said he loved her and wished the incident had never happened. According to the woman’s statements to police, Shenosky drove her home to San Luis Obispo after the rape and then she told her roommates, later describing the events to police.

Shenosky's sentence is as follows : 15 years to life on a single count of forcible rape, and 12 years for 2 counts of felony sexual penetration by a foreign object and a count of kidnapping, all to be served consecutively.

Yale bans professor/undergraduate sex on campus

Yale professors won't be able to have sex with any undergraduate students on campus anymore. The policy, floated since 1983 by Yale Deputy Provost Charles Long, prohibits professors from any romantic relationship with any undergraduate student, not just those with students under their “direct pedagogical or supervisory responsibilities.”

The previous policy is still in place regarding professional/ graduate student and graduate/undergraduate relationships. Yale professionals, who thought such a policy was already in place, were consulted and gave positive feedback.

Such a policy was floated in the past, but nixed due to women students feeling that it would be paternalistic. Yale wanted one policy to cover all relationships. The policy now says undergraduates “are particularly vulnerable to the unequal institutional power inherent in the teacher-student relationship and the potential for coercion, because of their age and relative lack of maturity.”

MS college student killed by boyfriend gets justice

(Original Post 12-4-07)

Latasha Norman, 20, was found murdered after her ex-boyfriend led police to her body in the woods, which lay among debris and trash. The ex-boyfriend, Stanley Dwayne Cole of Greenville, MS, was interviewed by detectives Thursday [November 29, 2007], said Jackson Police Sgt. Jeffery Scott. She was last seen leaving classes at Jackson State University on November 13th [2007].

Norman had been allegedly attacked by Cole before her disappearance. Cole was charged with simple assault for allegedly hitting his ex, and Norman’s tires had been slashed with her license plate stolen. The disappearnce of Norman sparked candlelight vigils from classmates and an outpouring of support in Jackson.

(Update 2-26-10) Tuesday, February 23 saw justice done for LaTasha. After 2 1/2 hours of deliberation, a Hinds County, MS jury convicted Cole of murder, meaning that he will get an automatic life sentence. Hinds County Circuit Judge Swan Yerger denied a defense request for the option to convict the now 26 year old Cole on manslaughter charges, an option which would have exposed him to a maximum of 2 decades in prison.

During the trial, the fact that Norman was killed by Cole was never in dispute - only whether the killing qualified as manslaughter or murder. Now with the jury rendering a guilty verdict, may LaTasha finally rest in piece.

Former Cal football player sentenced to 4 years for rapes

Former Cal football player Noah Smith was sentenced July 14 to 4 years in prison for sexually assaulting 2 UC-Berkeley students while studying there in May 2007. Prosecutors wanted 17 years, but the judge was lenient to Smith due to his clean prior record. In June, Smith was convicted of a count of rape, a count of attempted rape, and a count of forced oral copulation.

During the trial, two additional women offered testimony that he had also sexually assaulted them, but no separate charges were filed.

The additional women said in court that Smith faked an illness that he told them required collection of his sperm. They testified that he then exposed his genitals and, when they attempted to leave, physically assaulted and raped them. Smith denied the charges in his testimony.

Alameda County Deputy District Attorney Patrick Moriarty, who said he believed Smith is a sociopath based on his actions and testimony given during the trial, asked for the maximum possible sentence of 17 years in prison.

But Alameda County Superior Court Judge Thomas Reardon sentenced Smith to only four years, citing his lack of a prior criminal record as a mitigating factor.

During the trial, Smith explained the urine specimen cups in his car as a ploy by him and other football players to give the other players clean samples for their urine tests. Herb Benenson, director of media relations for Cal Athletics, said that "The claims made by Mr. Smith are completely false and have no credibility. There are policies and procedures in place to prevent the scenario that he described."

Smith played in 14 games for Cal, going 6 -14 for 89 years and a touchdown. He was an All-American wide receiver (WR) from Taft High School in Lakeview, Calif

College student gets 8 1/3 years for raping coed

A former Oregon State University student got the minimum sentence - 100 months, or 8 1/3 years in prison, for the Halloween 2008 rape of a 21 year old Portland, OR woman. Gregory Thomas Sako, 20, was sentenced to the mandatory minimum for rape under Oregon's Measure 11, which also stipulates that such sentences be served in full.

The trial ended last Thursday afternoon and guilty verdict was delivered by the jury Friday morning shortly before 11 a.m.

"It was absolutely the right verdict," Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Stringer said."The biggest hurdle for me was to get the jury to focus on the evidence and not to take into account Sako's status and age. It was a relief to find out that they did just that."

Sako had previously attended OSU on an ROTC scholarship and was an active member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. He was arrested Nov. 1 and according to the OSU Registrar, dropped out of classes shortly after, where he returned to live at home in Menlo Park, Calif., until the beginning of the trial.

While Sako had also been charged with 1st and 2nd degree kidnapping, his defense attorney successfully argued to presiding judge Janet Holcomb to dismiss those charges. However, according to Stringer, those charges, if they had stuck, would have resulted in the same 100 month sentence for Sako. Coffee Creek Correctional Facility is Sako;s next stop, where he will be evaluated before Oregon prison officials decide what medium or high security prison he'll be spending his time at.

Stringer hoped that the victims of other sexual assaults are encouraged to report their perpetrators, particulary on campus.

"I believe that sexual assault at OSU is highly underreported. The victim did everything correct in her situation and I hope that others can learn from her example by coming forward."

Former MN Gopher football player sentenced to year in jail for 4th degree CSC

(Originally Posted 5-31-08)

Dominic Jones, a former Minnesota Gophers football player, was sentenced to a year in the workhouse (which is work release for those who aren't from Minnesota), four more years in prison suspended, 7 years probation, and $1000 restitution. The sentence comes on the heels on his conviction for 4th degree criminal sexual conduct.

In March, a jury convicted him of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, which involves performing a sex act on a victim without her consent. It acquitted him on a rape charge.

During the weeklong trial, jurors saw cell-phone video that appeared to show Jones masturbating over an 18-year-old woman in April 2007. Jones testified she consented to it.

The victim testified during the trial that she drank up to eight shots of vodka with another player before the act and didn't remember anything between when she was placed on a couch and the next morning.

On Thursday, the victim read a statement in court. She said, "I drank into myself helplessness ... but i did not ask to be raped." She added, "Yes, I have been sexually assaulted, and no, I will never get over it."

Jones was kicked off of the team when the charges were filed and eventually kicked out of the University Of Minnesota. Collateral consequences include registering as a predatory sex offender, getting sex offender treatment, and having no contact with the victim. His attorney, Earl Gray, says he will appeal both conviction and sentence. Three other players were investigated, but never charged in the assault. The sentencing judge was Hennepin County District Judge Marilyn Rosenbaum.

(Update 3-14-09) Jones was released from the workhouse after 8 months on March 2, but probation, which includes completion of sex offender treatment, has just begun. He was denied a chance to try out with the NFL in Ohio this weekend because he hasn't started sex offender treatment. The judge who made the ruling is the same judge who heard Jones' original sexual assault case.

Assistant County Attorney Marlene Senechal, who heads the violent crimes division, argued that Jones should not be allowed to go because he is an "untreated sex offender" and his chances of playing in the NFL are "unrealistic." She said, "It would be inappropriate for him to leave the state."

[Defense Attorney Earl] Gray took issue with Senechal's characterization of Jones' chances, saying he should at least be given an opportunity to try out for the NFL. "In order to be successful on probation, it would seem to me a man should be able to pursue his career," Gray said.

Rosenbloom agreed that Jones had met all requirements of his sentence, and suggested that after sex offender treatment commences, if another NFL tryout occured, she may change her mind.

Illegal immigrant convicted of rape of Valparaiso, IN college students - sentenced to 36 years

(Original Post 8-21-08)

Porter Superior Judge Roger Bradford will sentence a 21 year old man for the rape of a Valiparaiso student and attempted rape of another in the fall. Arturo Garcia-Torres, an illegal Mexican immigrant, was found guilty Wednesday after a jury deliberation of about an hour of the Class B Indiana felonies of rape, attempted rape, and 2 counts of burglary. The rape occurred July 18, 2004 and the attempted rape occurred June 12, 2005. Each Class B felony carries a sentence range of 6 to 20 years, which can be halved with good behavior in prison.

Defense attorney Visvaldis Kupsis challenged the accuracy of the investigation by repeatedly questioning Horn as to what shared characteristics there were beyond that both attackers were Hispanic males.Kupsis pointed out there was an age difference between the two descriptions and attempted to distinguish the physical builds of the men as well.

But Horn said both women described the man as thin and one added he had a muscular build. Kupsis told the jury Tuesday the charges against Garcia-Torres are based on a hastily done investigation by a police department under pressure to find the person responsible for the high-profile attacks on the Valparaiso University students.

In addition to differences in the physical descriptions, he said a cell phone that helped lead police to Garcia-Torres was recovered several blocks away from the crime scene and in the opposite direction of where the attacker reportedly fled.

Valparaiso Detective Lt. Tom Horn acknowledged the differences in descriptions, but said enough evidence, including DNA evidence led police to Garcia Torres. Deputy Prosecutor Cheryl Polarek presented the evidence, a mouth swab collected from Garcia-Torres. The defense failed to throw out the evidence, but Horn stated that Torres shook his head instead of giving verbal consent because he speaks Spanish only.

Garcia-Torres’ sentencing will be scheduled to be be held on November 14.

(Update 11-16-08) Garcia Torres was sentenced to 36 years in prison Friday, and deportation after his prison term ends. Judge Roger Bradford said that Garcia-Torres' illegal immigrant stauts was an aggravating factor in the sentence.

Daily Evergreen editorial - defending yourself aganist rape

Defend yourself against rape -It’s not discussed enough
Tiffany Harms
The Daily Evergreen
Published: 09/12/2008

College-age women are four times more likely to get raped, according to the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network Web site. And here we are, college-aged and all, yet nothing is said to us about rape. Sure, you’ll find a poster here and there telling you to “go to the police” or “no means no,” but in my opinion, this issue, for how common rape is, hasn’t been talked about enough. You deserve to be educated. You deserve to know about your resources. So here it is, in your face. It’s time to start talking.

When I talked with Pullman Police Cmdr. Chris Tennant during the summer, he said the most common type of rape in Pullman – and everywhere else – is acquaintance rape.

According to the National Center for Victims of Crime’s Web site, acquaintance rape is “a sexual assault by an individual known to the victim.” This can be anyone you know, even someone you are dating.
Sadly, even though this is the most common – four out of five rapes are acquaintance rapes – it is also the least reported and the least talked about.

As everyone is well aware, rape is a touchy subject. It’s important at all times to keep the situation in perspective. While it is of the utmost importance that you remain vigilant, you should also keep in mind the dynamics of each individual situation.

Acquaintance rape is possibly the ultimate “gray area.” This is one of the reasons why it is so vastly underreported. But there are some consistent traits among attackers you can use to help identify and avoid them.

According to RAINN, the attacker will usually intrude upon or violate the victim’s personal space. This could manifest in the attacker revealing personal information to create a false sense of closeness or by “accidental” touching.

Be careful: This might come across as flirting, but pay close attention to the intensity. Usually when you first meet someone, they don’t tell you their life story, nor do they try to feel you up.
The attacker will also attempt to make the victim feel comfortable with them. This is called desensitization. The dangerous thing is the attacker is manipulating the victim into lowering their inhibitions and making the victim feel like their uneasy feelings are unfounded and incorrect.

If you initially feel uneasy about someone, hold on to that. You shouldn’t ever trust someone that hasn’t earned your trust. Finally, once the attacker has gained the victim’s trust, they will use it to isolate him or her from other people.

In all encounters with people, you should trust your gut instinct. If you feel weird about someone, restrict your contact with him or her or include other people in the conversation.

Unfortunately, alcohol or other drugs will completely throw all of this off. They can lower inhibitions, meaning that you might not notice if someone is coming on too strong, and you are more likely to do things that you wouldn’t feel comfortable with if you were sober.
Tennant said the most reliable way to protect yourself is to use the buddy system. If you’re going to a party, take a friend along with you, make a plan for the night and stick to it.

One of the trickier things to talk about is what will happen if you find someone you want to hook up with. Should your buddy screen the lucky guy/girl? Who will have the final say, you or your buddy? These are the kinds of questions you should have answers for ahead of time.

Keep in mind that if you met this person at the party, it’s probably not a good idea to run with it. One-night stands are never a good idea, as harmless as they may seem. If you find someone you like enough, get his or her number. There is always tomorrow.

Finally, when you do decide to hook up with someone, make sure you talk about it. Make sure it is something that you both want and are ready for.

Rape occurs when there is no consent. It may feel awkward to talk about sex, you may feel like you’re ruining the moment, but you probably shouldn’t be having sex if you can’t even talk about it.

Daily Vidette Rape Myth Of The Month

Sexual assault myth of the month
Gail Trimpe-Morrow, M.S., L.P.C., Coordinator, Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services

Myth: Most rapes or sexual assaults are committed by strangers.Fact: Over 80 percent of sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. On the ISU campus over 85 percent of sexual assaults are committed by an acquaintance.

The most common perception of a sexual predator is the "stranger lurking in the dark." As children, we are all cautioned about "stranger danger" and learn about "good touches and bad touches." We are warned not to walk alone at night, to be wary of strangers and to stick to well-lit paths. These safeguards, though good advice, provide us with a false sense of safety and reinforce the idea that if we are cautious enough we can prevent bad things from happening.

There is no doubt we can reduce the risk of violence, but prevention lies in the hands of those who commit such acts. We exercise caution with the unkempt stranger, but we don't exercise the same caution when interacting or partying with acquaintances.

If the number of acquaintance rapes is so high, why do we continue to visualize the rapist as a stranger? The "myth" of the stranger rapist is perpetuated by the media - we see the stranger rapist scenario on TV and in the movies, and we are more likely to read about a stranger rape in the newspaper or hear it on the news. It is easier to think about the stranger as the perpetrator of violence. It is very frightening to think about people we know being capable of sexual violence.

The reality is familiar people and places are more dangerous. The greatest risk of a sexual assault is from someone you know - someone you met at a party, a friend, a date, a partner - not a stranger. Sexual assaults occurring on-campus are most likely to occur in the residence halls.

Although the incidence of acquaintance rape is high, there are ways to decrease the risk. These strategies apply to both men and women in the context of any relationship or encounter.

Sex without consent is rape. Make sure you have sober consent for any sexual activity. Consent cannot be given when drunk. If you choose to use alcohol, know your limit and stick to it. Risk for an unwanted sexual experience is increased with the excessive use of alcohol.

Go out in groups and return in groups; do not leave friends behind or allow them to wander off with someone they just met. If you see someone putting themselves at risk or making a poor choice - say something, actively intervene or find someone who will. Do not wait for others to act. It is likely others are having the same thoughts and concerns as you.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of an unwanted sexual experience, talk to someone. Ignoring it will not make it go away. Help is free and confidential. Contact the Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services program in Student Counseling Services at 438-7948 or 438-3566, or visit the website at counseling.ilstu.edu.

Rapist pleads guilty to strangling coed with her bikini in SC court

By SEANNA ADCOX Associated Press Writer
Posted: Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2008

PICKENS, S.C. A convicted sex offender spotted a college student outside her South Carolina apartment two years ago, then slipped through her patio door and raped and strangled her, leaving the bikini top still wrapped around her neck, according to a confession revealed during his guilty plea Tuesday.

Jerry Buck Inman, 37, admitted to authorities shortly after his June 2006 arrest that he raped and killed 20-year-old Tiffany Marie Souers of Ladue, Mo., but his statements to police were not made public until Tuesday.

Inman could face the death penalty when he is sentenced Sept. 8. A defense psychiatrist testified that's exactly what he wants.
"He wishes to die for what he's done," said Dr. Donna Schwartz-Watts, a forensic psychiatrist with the University of South Carolina. "He has consistently stated that."The psychiatrist said Inman takes medication for a mood disorder, but "he absolutely knows what he's doing."

The Clemson University engineering student's body was discovered May 26, 2006, at her apartment just a few miles from this campus in rural northwestern South Carolina.

Authorities said Inman's DNA matched samples taken from Souers' apartment, and he was arrested during a nationwide manhunt near his mother's home in Dandridge, Tenn., about two weeks after Souers' body was found.

Inman, bald with tattoos on his neck, both arms and chest, still appeared menacing in court despite handcuffs and shackles. He stared straight ahead during much of the court hearing, biting his lip as he answered yes or no to basic questions.

Inman also faces charges in the attempted rape of a 24-year-old woman in Rainsville, Ala., and in the rape of a 28-year-old woman in Sevierville, Tenn.Authorities have said those crimes occurred in the days leading up to Souers' death.

Inman said everything in handwritten confessions he gave to police shortly after his arrest were true. "I did not go there to kill her. I don't want to talk about the sex part, but I did have sex with her," he wrote.

Inman wrote that he knew Souers would recognize him, so he killed her. He bound and strangled her with what he found in her room.

"I knew Tiffany was dead because she stopped struggling," he wrote.

Inman spent about 18 years in prison in North Carolina and Florida for rapes committed in those states as a teenager. He was free for about nine months before his June 2006 arrest. In his confession, Inman wrote he was living with a cousin at the time and "was not adjusting well to being out of jail, so I decided to get away."

Inman, who finished the eighth grade and previously worked construction, wrote that he'd run out of money when he reached Clemson and was "looking for some place to rob." He said he spotted Souers on her front porch earlier in the day, then drove around until nearly 1 a.m., went in through her patio door and woke her up.

Prosecutor Bob Ariail said Inman later tried to use Souer's credit card six times at two different bank ATM machines but didn't enter the correct personal identification number. In his statements, Inman said Souer's had given him her PIN, but he'd forgotten it.

Accused rapist sentenced to 30 years for campus rape - faced life

(Original Post 10-20-07)

A Chicasaw County (MS) man charged with stalking a Mississippi State University student has been arrested for the alleged rape of a second MSU student on August 12. Johnny "Radar" Griffihs Jr, 30, a parolee, is being held on $100,000 bond for the two incidents.

The rape occurred near the University Drive bridge that connects the MSU campus to the city of Starkville. An 18-year-old student was jogging at approximately 8:30 p.m. that Sunday when she was ordered by a man who had been hiding in a wooded area to follow him under the bridge. He then raped her.

The assailant was described as a black male in his mid-20s who was reportedly wearing a gray tank top, black shorts and a pair of tan gardening gloves during the time of the incident.

Griffihs is expected to go to trial in January. If convicted of rape, he faces life in prison, and if convicted of sexual assault, he faces 30 years. The case is expected to be heard by a Oktibbeha County grand jury in January.

Reference:

Police arrest campus rape suspect

(Update 7-19-08) Griffiths was sentenced to 30 years without parole after pleading guilty to forcible rape in the attack. He would have faced 3 life sentences if he had gone to trial and been convicted of the original charges of rape, sexual battery, and kidnapping. Circuit Court Judge Jim Kitchens dropped the sexual battery and kidnapping charges.

Oktibbeha County Assistant District Attorney Frank Clark said Wednesday afternoon that he was seeking a life term for Griffis if he had went to trial.

“That’s what we were hoping he would get if we went to trial,” Clark said. “But that would have required the victim to relive the whole thing again during the trial process.”

Griffis was in the process of stalking another victim when he was captured, and has previous criminal convictions.

When he was taken into custody, Griffis was in the process of stalking another potential victim.This time, a student noticed Griffis following her in his vehicle as she jogged each morning. The student contacted police, so the Starkville and MSU police departments set up a joint sting operation — which included an undercover female SPD officer jogging in the area — to catch Griffis in the act.

On Oct. 3, the student once again noticed Griffis following her, so she called the undercover officer who was jogging nearby and the officer contacted police units in the area. When police confronted Griffis, he was wearing nothing but a T-shirt, boxer shorts and running shoes, Clark said.“At the time, they didn’t know they captured the campus rapist,” Clark said. “They thought they had just captured a stalker.”

His criminal history dates back to 1995 when he was convicted in Chickasaw County court for the sale of cocaine.Griffis found himself on the wrong side of the law again in 2002 when he was convicted in Chickasaw County court on two counts of voyeurism.

Each count brought with it a two-year prison sentence, though it is unclear when he was released.“Basically he was a peeping Tom, which doesn’t sound all that bad in itself, but when you go from voyeurism to stalking to forcible rape, you have to wonder where it was going to stop,” Clark said. “That’s what is so scary about this.”

New Haven, CT oficer arrested on sex abuse and unlawful restraint charges

A 13 year veteran on the New Haven Police department has been arrested and charged with two counts each of 4th degree sexual abuse and 2nd degree unlawful restraint for an incident which occured at a New Haven business on April 19. Two college women, 20 and 21, were at a bar in which Maio was providing security.

Around closing time, Maio invited the women upstairs, where he took them to an employee bathroom and locked the door, according to the affidavit.

Maio kissed the women repeatedly and put his hand up the skirt of one woman and tried to touch the other woman on her chest, the affidavit says. The women said the officer locked the door twice and one of them said he held them back from leaving.

Officer Anthony Maio, 40, turned himself into his own police department after the warrants were signed, and is currently on paid administrative leave.

New Haven Police Chief Stephanie Redding said the following:

"We take these incidents very seriously as this type of behavior from an officer is unacceptable. Our residents count on us to be role models, to serve them and to provide them with effective community policing. We have a strong internal affairs team that works hard to make sure that we meet or exceed the expectations of our residents."

"This is a police veteran with an exemplary record," Tim Pothin, Maio's attorney, said Friday. "There has never been any hint of any impropriety on his part. He adamantly denies these essentially uncorroborated allegations."

Maio was released on $5000 bond and is due back in court June 18.

Midshipman cleared of rape charges and possible courtmartial

(Original Post 5-21-08)
A midshipman enrolled at the US Naval Academy has been cleared of rape charges by the investigators of his case, but still faces disiplinary procedures, including expulsion from the academy. Mark A. Calvanico, 21, of Secaucus, NJ, faces conduct unbecoming a gentleman charges for the incident which occured at a woman's dorm last fall.

The report, akin to a civilian grand jury recommendation, is "under review," said Judy Campbell, a spokeswoman for the Naval Academy. She said she did not know when Fowler might reach a decision.

Calvanico, who is still enrolled at and attending the Naval Academy, had been accused of raping a female classmate in her room in Bancroft Hall early on Oct. 14. At a hearing last month, the woman testified that Calvanico, whom she had considered dating, had been drinking the night before and came to her room three times in the early-morning hours. On his third visit, she said, he pinned down her arms and raped her.

The investigating officer's report said there was "a lack of physical evidence to support" the woman's allegations of rape, and her roommate's testimony contradicted parts of her story. Forensic examinations of Calvanico's underwear showed evidence of the woman's DNA. No sperm, semen or DNA were found in vaginal swabs or on the woman's shorts, sheets or blankets. Further examination found no vaginal bruising or swelling.

The woman's roommate testified that she saw the pair kissing earlier and heard a discussion of their relationship but no signs of a serious struggle.

"If this case were to proceed to trial, the Government would be faced with putting on a case with almost a complete lack of physical evidence to support the most serious offenses charged," the investigator's report states.

The report recommends that Calvanico face administrative punishment for engaging in consensual sexual relations with the woman in the dorm when her roommate was there, being drunk and disorderly, and sending the woman a digital photograph of his penis at her request. The report, which makes no recommendation on actual punishment, also faults Calvanico for being absent from his place of duty and unlawfully entering the woman's dorm room.

"Despite there being sufficient evidence to go forward with a court-martial for the less serious offenses . . . the seriousness of the offenses does not rise to the level for adjudication at that forum," Clady's report says.

Parents and lawyers for Calvanico hope that the Naval Academy goes along with the recommendations of the report and that he avoids serious consequences.

"I'm hoping, I'm praying that he's fair and takes the report into consideration," said Rosa Calvanico, 47, Mark Calvanico's mother. "It's the truth. Mark really didn't do anything."

Michael Waddington, Mark Calvanico's lawyer, said he was not surprised by the report, which was in line with the hearing last month.

"The ball's in their court right now," Waddington said. "All the family's asking for is for him to get a fair shake."

(Update 6-3-08) After an Article 32 hearing, Calvanico will not face criminal charges, but can still face administrative punishments including a maximum of explusion from the Naval Academy. Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Jeffrey Fowler's recommendation echoes an earlier report. Michael Waddington, Calvanico's attorney states his client in participating in summer training.

A Naval Criminal Investigative Service agent testified at Calvanico's Article 32 hearing that DNA from both midshipmen was found on a pair of boxer shorts Calvanico had been wearing that night. However, none of Calvanico's DNA or semen was found in a rape exam of the accuser. Clady concluded that both of those samples support testimony from Calvanico and the alleged victim's roommate "that there was consensual kissing and sexual activity short of sexual intercourse." He said there was "almost complete lack of physical evidence" for the rape charge.

After 7 1/2 month investigation, University of Iowa football players charged with sex assault

After 7.5 months, the University of Iowa obtained arrest warrants for two former University of Iowa football players accused of raping a fellow student at a dorm October 14. According to the complaint, Abe Satterfield of Erie, PA gave Cedric Evenson, 18, of Detroit access to the dorm room of the victim, and that Evenson had sexual contact with the sleeping victim.

According to the criminal complaint, "The victim was not even aware (the) defendant was having sexual intercourse with her." DNA evidence linked Evenson to the assault.

Both will be charged with second-degree sexual abuse, a Class B felony punishable by a 25-year prison term. Satterfield also will be charged with third-degree sexual abuse, a Class C felony, a possible 10-year prison term.

Evenson, arrested on a warrant charging him with 2nd degree sexual abuse, was held on $10,000 bond Friday. A no-contact order was issued on behalf of the alleged victim. Satterfield had not turned himself into Iowa authorities as of Friday, May 30. He is expected to turn himself in on June 2 for his preliminary hearing.

Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness said both players have local attorneys and plan to surrender in Iowa City. Once they are jailed, Lyness will file formal charges.

"I think they're both going to try to do that, if they can afford to," Lyness said. "If not, then they're probably going to be picked up where they are, and we'll extradite them back. But I don't think they'll fight extradition."

The woman reported the incident to Public Safety on November 7, and police obtained evidence from Hillcrest Hall on November 14. Police turned over the evidence to Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness in December.

The investigation spanned nearly two semesters and became a burden to all parties. Public scrutiny intensified toward the University of Iowa and its athletics department, local law enforcement, the football team, the accused players and the alleged victim. Lyness said the woman was harassed, and a university news release stated, "The Johnson County Attorney's Office said Tuesday that the safety and well-being of the reported victim was paramount in the decision about when to file the charges." The woman has left Iowa City, and Lyness declined to say if she will return to the University of Iowa.

Lyness defended herself after the complaints that the investigation took too long. Satterfield and Everson were removed from the team within days of the alleged incident. In December, the school announced they were transferring to other schools. Satterfield is enrolled at Indiana (Pa.) University, and Everson signed with Alcorn State (Miss.) University but does not appear on the roster.

The legal process has weighed heavily on their families as well."Like any other family would think," said Pearline Hobson, Satterfield's grandmother, when asked for her thoughts. "God is going to prevail."

Her daughter, Kim Hobson, Satterfield's mother, echoed the same sentiments.

"The joy of the Lord is my strength. Jesus is his lawyer and Jesus is his judge and God will prevail."

The athletics department and university may have received the most scrutiny since the allegations. Since April 2007, 17 different football players have been arrested, including five for felonies. The state Board of Regents asked Lyness for a report on the case, Gov. Chet Culver called for a thorough probe, and the university was sued by a local newspaper after withholding several documents after an open records request.

"Once it became a criminal investigation, we had cooperation from the University of Iowa," Lyness said. When asked if the university had problems handling the incident before it became a criminal investigation, Lyness said, "I can't really comment on that."

Lyness said she expects further discussion on how UI officials handled the woman's complaint. Additionally, she said, the entire university, beyond campus police, could benefit from implementing practices used by the Johnson County Sexual Assault Response Team. Such practices include getting advocates for victims and not interviewing victims repeatedly following an assault, she said.

Iowa Athletics Director Gary Barta defended his department and showed concern for the victim.

"The one thing that I continue to be confident about is that for our staff, our first concern was for the woman involved. And then we went directly through the university process and university procedure. I'm confident that everybody involved from my staff and throughout the university did their very best throughout that process.I understand that a lot of people want to know kind of what happened and what was the timeline and what was the process, but right now the rights of the alleged victim, of the accused and the people involved have to override the desire of the media and for the public for immediate access."

(Update 6-3-08) Satterfield turned himself in this morning. The charges of 2nd and 3rd degree sexual abuse were formally read. Surprisingly, the 2nd degree charge stems from the alleged facilitation of Evenson's alleged assault. The 3rd degree charges comes from Satterfield's own sexual encounter with the victim.

Authorities accuse Satterfield and an unidentified man of entering room N207 at Hillcrest Hall on Oct. 14, 2007 between midnight and 6 a.m. After the other man left the room, “the defendant (Satterfield) forced the victim to have sexual intercourse with him, even after the victim told him she did not want to do so. The defendant admitted to having sex with the victim,” according to the complaint on his third-degree charge.

He is being held on $10,000 bond and is under a no-contact order for the victim.

Minnesota man charged in rape of Uof M student

A suspect has been arrested in the sexual assault of a University of Minnesota student near the Minneapolis campus on May 4. Christopher Edward Karls, 24, has been charged with three counts of 1st degree criminal sexual conduct, three counts of burglary, and a count of kidnapping.
According to the criminal complaint, Karls entered the victim’s 15th Ave. SE apartment through a window. While investigating the crime scene, police found blood on the bent aluminum frame of a storm window. A blood sample was collected as evidence, which matched the DNA profile of Chris Karls.

The woman told police she heard someone in the apartment, but thought it was a roommate. When she went into her room, she saw a man, slammed the door and locked it. The man kicked down the door.

The woman hit the intruder with a curling knife but stopped after seeing his knife. When the man, asking for money, saw she did not have any, she tried to appease him by offering her computer and curling iron instead.

According to the complaint, the man put a knife to her throat and told her to take off her clothes. He ordered her to perform oral sex, put on a condom and sexually assaulted her in multiple ways.

When he finished assaulting her, the man told her to take a shower. The victim took a comforter from her bed, hiding a cell phone inside to call police. She dialed 911, but the man heard her, took the phone and removed the battery.

After the man left the bathroom, police say the woman, wearing only a towel, jumped from a second floor window to the deck below. She broke her ankle in the fall and had injuries on her body from the knife.

Christopher Edward Karls has several past burglary convictions in Stearns County and Dakota County. He is currently being held at the Hennepin County Jail for the Minneapolis rape charges.

A second assault involving a U of M student, at Pioneer Hall on the University of Minnesota campus, remains unsolved. Karls is not currently linked to that assault.

NM State newspaper editor charged with sexual assault

The head on New Mexico State University's student newspaper was arrested Tuesday and charged with criminal sexual penetration, a third degree felony in the state of New Mexico, punishable by up to three years in prison, for performing a sex act on an unconscious woman.

[21 year old Richard] Reyes was recently elected as the editor of The Round Up, a twice weekly newspaper, for the upcoming 2008-09 school year. A board of the Associated Students of New Mexico State University elects the editor. Reyes also has done freelance work for the Sun-News.

Frank Thayer, head of the university's journalism department, said he was surprised to learn of Reyes' arrest.
"He is a top quality writer and has done some good work at The Round Up and in my classes," Thayer said. "I've known him for two and a half years and hate to see this happen."

According to a criminal complaint, the alleged victim is a 20-year-old NMSU student.

The complaint states that the victim was at a party at Reyes' home Monday night. She told investigators she had two glasses of wine but was not intoxicated when she decided to rest on Reyes' bed and expressed being tired from work.

She awoke to allegedly find that Reyes had taken off her clothing and was performing a sex act on her.

According to the complaint, Reyes admitted that he knew the woman was asleep when he had sex with her, and that the acts were not consensual. Reyes said he and other guests took part in drinking games.

Thayer said the arrest of a sitting editor at the school newspaper was unprecedented, and that while Reyes hasn't officially been charged with a crime, all options are on the table. Reyes is being held on $10,000 bond in the Doña Ana County Detention Center.

University of Arizona football player charged with sex assault

A University of Arizona football player was indicted on sexual assault charges after an incident which occured last April 2. Johnathan Turner, 23, was indicted May 16, according to a Pima County sheriff's department spokeswoman. The victim was a fellow UA student.

The indictment stems from an incident April 2 when the victim told authorities she and some of her friends were drinking at a residence near North Camino de Oeste and West Sweetwater Drive, Hanke said. The victim said she passed out on a couch and woke up around 2:30 a.m. to find Turner sexually assaulting her, according to a search-warrant affidavit filed in Pima County Superior Court shortly after the incident.

The victim said she pushed Turner off her, went into a bedroom and told her friend what had just happened, the affidavit said.

"Mr. Turner followed her into the bedroom and stated nothing had happened," the search-warrant affidavit said. "He described (the victim) as 'tripping out.' He continued to state he was just 'cuddling' with (the victim)."

The victim was taken to St. Mary's Hospital by her friends, and sheriff's adult-sex-crimes detectives investigated. DNA evidence was obtained, along with two quilts and seat cushions from the couch, the search warrant shows.

Turner, from Corona, Calif., was not booked into jail, Hanke said. He is a junior defensive end for the UA football team and a sociology major. The charge, a Class 2 felony, carries 5 to 14 years in prison.

Coach Mike Stoops suspended Turner from the team on April 5, supposedly for unspecified reasons, but had been monitoring the investigation, which fingered Turner as a person of interest early.

"I'm obviously aware of the situation, and I will let the judicial system take its course," Stoops said. "We'll have some kind of statement when it moves further."

Stoops will meet with Athletic Director Jim Livengood this week to talk about Turner's status. For now, Turner will remain on scholarship but will not be able to practice or work out with the team, Stoops said.

"I really haven't talked to Jim about that or the university," Stoops said. "I'm sure we'll discuss that and what's best for all parties, and make some kind of decision this week."

According to the university's student athlete code of conduct, Turner could lose his scholarship [No duh! He'll be losing a lot more than that - like freedom, on not having the stigma of being a sex offender.]

Turner, a 6-foot-3-inch, 263-pounder, was expected to start this fall at defensive end. He has 25 career starts, third-highest on the team.

Nebraska Offensive Lineman pleads not guilty to sexual assault

Lanmcaster County, NE District Judge Steve Burns accepted Nebraska COrnhusker offensive lineman Andy Christensen's not guilty plea to sexual assault and resisting arrest for an incident at a bar in March. Judge Burns set a trial date for July 14.

The 21-year-old was arrested early March 8 after a 23-year-old woman reported he had assaulted her inside the Brass Rail, 1436 O St.According to police reports, Christensen approached the woman, whom he knew, reached up under her skirt from behind and groped her.

Police were dispatched to the bar at about 12:35 a.m., shortly after the incident occurred.Christensen was arrested outside the bar but, according to police reports, he resisted officers’ attempts to handcuff him and put him in a police vehicle.

The 6'-3", 310 lb Christensen kicked the vehicles and at the officers, causing a dent in the police car. At the Lancaster County Jail, authorities had to place him in a security chair because of his behavior. He lated bonded out on $3000,000 bail.

Madison man sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison for attempted sex attack

Paul Aud, 34, was sentenced to 7 1/2 years out of a possible 25 years in prison for the attempt to sexually assault a University of Wisconsin - Madison student. He was convicted in a bench trial of attempted 2nd degree sexual assault and substantial battery. Aug. 23, 2006 was when Aud, then 32, followed his victim into an on-campus apartment building and pulled her down stairs. He attempted to, but she sucsessfully fought off the rape attempt.

"I can't help but wonder the typical questions that a victim asks: 'Why me? What did I do so wrong to this person that made him attack me?'" the victim said. "He had the intentions of any other predator who succeeds in his crime and I do not believe he is ashamed of what he realizes he has done or the repercussions of his crime."

Aud apologized at the sentencing. He claimed that attack was triggered by a drunken rage.
"I am sorry beyond words for what I've done and the pain that I've caused you. If I could do
anything, I would do anything to take back that night," Aud said.

Besides the 7 1/2 year prison sentence, Aud has to spend 9 1/2 years on extended supervision and sign the SO registry.

Boston College defensive end arrested, suspended on sexual assault charges

Brady Smith, a star defensive end from Maryland who played on Boston College's 2007 team who went 11-3, was suspended from the team and university after a sexual assault and burglary allegation on campus. Bail was set at $50,000 and Smith was ordered to stay away from the woman and BC.

According to the DA, Smith went into a fellow 21 year old student's dorm early Saturday morning and sexually assaulted her as she slept. SHe woke up screaming, and he ran, but was caught by BC police. The victim was able to pick Smith out of a lineup.

BC spokesman Jack Dunn stated that Smith will be suspended pending the outcome of his court case. “Brady Smith was issued a summary suspension from the university as a result of an alleged assault last evening or early this morning. The university has a right to issue summary suspension for incidents that are deemed to be of a serious nature. That suspension remains in effect pending the outcome of court proceedings.”

Boston College Eagles football coach Jeff Jagodzinski issued a press release yesterday saying Smith had been indefinitely suspended from the team for an “undisclosed violation of team rules.” The release said Jagodzinski would have no further comment.

Smith was offered a scholarship to play at BC, according to The Heights, BC's student newspaper. Calls to his parents were not returned. Smith had 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks during the 12 games he started.