Man charged with sex assault

SANDUSKY — A man is facing felony charges after an alleged sexual assault in Sandusky. Charles Davis, 25, of Taylor, Michigan, is facing two third-degree felonies: gross sexual imposition and abduction. He is additionally charged with a first-degree misdemeanor count of assault. At about 4:30 p.m. on July 19, a Cedar Point security lieutenant told Sandusky police that he was made aware of an incident that occurred at Pipe Creek Wildlife Area. The entrance to the area is at the eastern terminus of River Avenue. The victim told police that she and some friends were at a River Avenue bar on July 16. When the bar closed, the group went to the wildlife area for an after-party, according to a Sandusky police report. She told the officer that she saw Davis, whom she knows from previous interactions. She said Davis has invited her to his room for sex, but she declined. At that point, she felt she was too intoxicated and wanted to return to her dormitory room. At 4 a.m. on July 17, with none of her friends willing to accompany her, the woman decided to walk back alone. The after-party was in dense woods and the trail back to the parking lot was unlit, the report states. While walking back, Davis "came out of nowhere," and pushed her, the woman said. That caused her to fall onto a log, which injured her right inner knee. Once she got up, Davis allegedly grabbed her by the waist from behind, grabbed her by the back of the neck and pushed her upper body down and allegedly began to sexually assault her. When she screamed, Davis stopped. Davis reportedly walked away and took out his phone. The woman messaged a friend who came to her and the two started walking back to the Cedar Point dorms, the report states. The woman reported she saw Davis behind a bush staring at them. When an officer asked what she wanted to be done about the incident, she said she was unsure, according to the report. She said in her country, there can be no rape charge unless there is video proof of the attack. She also said she previously reported Davis' behavior and nothing was done about it. The officer later learned that multiple women filed complaints about Davis. When told that the weight of evidence was less in the U.S., the woman told the officer that she wanted Davis charged. Davis was arrested and taken to Erie County Jail under a no-bond order. As of late Wednesday, he is still incarcerated there under an $18,000 bond. He has a plea hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. on Thursday in Sandusky Municipal Court.