Second victim of alleged BBCC sexual assault comes forward

MOSES LAKE - A Big Bend Community College student was accused by two other students of forcibly fondling them on campus.

A 20-year old male student was removed from the dormitory that he shared with one victim, and the school is considering whether to allow him to stay, according to Doug Sly, a college spokesperson. The Grant County Sheriff's Office is conducting its own investigation. No arrests have been made.

A 21-year-old female victim reported on Christmas evening, the male student walked into her dorm room, uninvited, and began to forcibly fondle her, according to a protection order she filed, barring the male student from contacting her. He quit after she repeatedly asked to stop and said she would call campus security.

He later sent her threatening texts and obscene Facebook messages.

After her complaint, another female student came forward, alleging a similar incident occurred with the male student in either late October or early November, according to Sly. Further details were unavailable as she only wanted to report her complaint and not pursue further action, according to an email college President Terry Leas sent to students and faculty.

Sly said the initial incident was reported on Jan. 1. He said the accused student was immediately removed from the dormitory he shared with the alleged victim and will be arrested for trespassing if he returns to the building.

He said he was unaware if campus security or a resident advisor was on campus on Christmas Day when the alleged assault occurred.

A federally-required "Timely Warning" was issued after each of the incidents were reported to campus police.

Sly said there was no evidence that drugs or alcohol were involved.

The college has made recent improvements to campus security, including more security cameras and increased patrol by security officers. A college safety committee meets monthly to discuss incident reports and problem solve issues, according to meeting minutes from a Dec. 12 board study session.