Accusations of crimes of a sexual nature can be among the most difficult to either prove or refute. Sex crimes sometimes become a game of “he said/she said,” but one with very high stakes indeed. In Iowa City, a man was recently arrested on accusations of sexual assault, but a number of conflicting accounts are making it difficult to determine what actually occurred.
Early on Jan. 16 at around 12:15 in the morning, police received a call reporting two people having sex in the area between two houses. The 911 caller reported sounds of crying, claiming that the sex sounded like it might not be consensual, according to the complaint. Officers claim that, when they arrived at the scene, the man’s belt was unbuckled, and they say that he was attempting to pull down the woman’s pants. Reportedly, the woman also had a cut on her head, according to police statements.
Recorded video footage discovered by police supposedly shows the woman being helped up by the defendant after a fall. The tape also shows the two subsequently leaving the bar together. The man was arrested and charged with third degree sexual abuse, even though he denies having any sexual contact with the woman.
According to complaints, the woman herself claims that she has no memory of either being at the bar or of interacting with the defendant. With the woman’s lack of memory, no video footage of the alleged crime or of how the woman even suffered the laceration to her forehead, and several conflicting accounts, the accused man’s defense counsel appears to have a strong case. The defendant’s charges are a class C felony and a conviction is punishable by a prison sentence of up to 10 years, but his lawyer will undoubtedly fight hard for a much better outcome. An experienced criminal defense attorney will use all available evidence — or lack thereof — to protect the rights and fight on behalf of any Iowa clients accused of sex crimes.
Source: press-citizen.com, “Police: Man sexually assaulted woman in Iowa City“, Stephen Gruber-Miller, Feb. 20, 2017
