Houston man charged with sexual assault at Austin hotel

Published 10:29 am Friday, October 24, 2008

A 39-year-old Houston, Minn. man has been charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct after a woman reported an assault at an Austin hotel.

The defendant is charged with two counts of felony first-degree sexual conduct, kidnapping, assault in the 3rd degree and domestic assault by strangulation.

According to court documents, Austin police were dispatched to the Holiday Inn Oct. 18 to the report of a woman found in the hallway.

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When officers arrived, they were directed to the workout room, where the victim was wrapped in a blanket and had severe bruising on her face and blood on her lips.

The victim was later found to have a broken nose and was strangled for approximately 10 seconds during the attack.

A hotel security officer reportedly said he found the victim wearing no clothes below her waist.

The victim identified the defendant as her attacker, and explained that they were having drinks at the hotel bar before they returned to the hotel room, where he pushed her around and assaulted her. The room was found in disarray and with blood smeared on the bed, walls and clothing.

The defendant was transported to the Mower County Jail. Bail was set at $500,000 or $100,000 with conditions.

He has not been identified to protect the identity of the victim.