The trial of Jonathan Schiefer, a man charged with kidnapping, burglary and sexual abuse will begin today.

Schiefer, 34, was charged in July 2008 amid a rash of sexual assaults near the UI campus. No similar assaults were recorded after Schiefer’s arrest.

Iowa City police Sgt. Denise Brotherton said no victims of the other assaults identified Schiefer as the perpetrator in their cases. Brotherton also stressed the importance of precautions against window peeping, one element of Schiefer’s case.

“It’s a horrible thing to have happen to the victim,” Brotherton said. “As a female, it’s one of the things we fear. It’s a terrifying thing.”

— by Sam Lane