University of Iowa police arrested a Coralville man last week, alleging that he tried to force himself on a woman in Stanley Residence Hall in March.
Rakeem I’shod Eberhart, 22, was charged April 6 with assault with intent to commit sex abuse with no injury.
According to a police report, Eberhart allegedly hugged a woman March 26 without her permission and did not stop when told to do so.
The report said he allegedly tried to force his hand between her legs, spread them and tried to force her to touch his genitals. He was repeatedly told “no,” police said.
The woman told officers Eberhart allegedly tried to lie on top of her and kissed her neck and chest. Police said the alleged victim was able to force Eberhart off her.
UI police were informed of the incident at approximately 10:55 p.m. on March 26, and the alleged incident was published to the UI’s crime log. However, the UI did not send out a notification of the report to the public.
The Campus Security Act requires universities to issue a timely warning if there is a serious or continuing threat to the campus community — and if the warning would not compromise the investigation of the alleged crime.
UI spokesman Tom Moore said the facts and circumstances of the Eberhart case — which could not be disclosed because of the investigation — did not require the university to issue a timely warning.
The Jeanne Clery Act — which requires all colleges and universities to issue campuswide warnings in the event of assaults — says the time frame for incidents to be reported to the public is up to the discretion of the public-safety institution involved.
“The standard is ‘as soon as pertinent information is available to lead the institution to believe there is a potential ongoing threat to the community,’ ” Clery Act expert Dolores Stafford wrote in an e-mail. “That said, victims often delay reporting crimes and that affects how quickly an institution is made aware and subsequently make the community aware.”
A preliminary hearing has been set for Eberhart on April 18, and a no-contact order has been issued, according to online court documents.