A University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Student has been charged for locking another UW-La Crosse student in his dorm room and sexually assaulting her in September.
John M. Lattimore, 19, was charged with second degree sexual assault and false imprisonment, both of which are felonies. Lattimore is facing a maximum of 46 years in prison if convicted, according to the criminal complaint.
The victim reported the assault to the police on Oct. 28. Lattimore was arrested Monday and was charged Tuesday, according to the complaint.
The victim was out with some friends on Sept. 28 when she texted Lattimore. He invited her back to his dorm room in Reuter Hall. When the victim arrived they went into Lattimore’s room, and he locked the door behind them, according to the complaint.
The victim said this made her feel weird, and Lattimore told her he locked the door because he did not know his roommates very well, according to the complaint.
The victim said Lattimore than became “aggressive” and pinned her down and removed her pants and underwear, according to the complaint. She attempted to get up as Lattimore took off his pants, however he pushed her back on the bed.
“[The victim] became concerned because he did not have a condom, and [Lattimore] told her that’s what Plan B is for,” according to the complaint.
The victim told Lattimore she did not want to have sex with him, but he began to assault her and continued after she protested, according to the complaint. The victim stated she felt helpless during the assault.
Lattimore eventually stopped, and the victim fled the room crying, according to the complaint.
This is the second reported sexual assault in the UW-La Crosse dorms this year. Two students were charged with assaulting another student with a lint roller earlier in the semester.
The two reported assaults in the first three months of this school year are an increase from the past two years, where only one assault was reported each year in the residence halls, according to a safety report from the UW-La Crosse Police Department. There were no reported assaults in the dorms in 2007.
Lattimore’s next court appearance will be Thursday at 1:30 p.m.
