The Digital Collegian - Published independently by students at Penn State NEWS
[ Thursday, March 30, 2006 ]

Rape case will go to trial

Collegian Staff Writer

A 20-year-old Penn State fraternity member charged with raping an unconscious student in October will go to trial sometime this summer.

The 18-year-old victim reported to the State College Police Department that she was sexually assaulted by Shawn Cornelius, of Lansdale, at Kappa Alpha fraternity, 234 E. Beaver Ave., after she passed out.

Cornelius is charged with one count each of aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault, rape, sexual assault and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. Cornelius' attorney, Joe Amendola, could not be reached before press time yesterday.

According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 28, the victim said she went to a party and was too intoxicated to walk back to her campus dorm herself.

A friend who helped walk her back decided the pair should stop at the friend's fraternity, Kappa Alpha. There, the victim said she and a friend went into a room with Cornelius, and he gave her a beer. The victim then passed out on a bed in the room, according to court documents.

The criminal complaint stated she woke up three separate times with no clothes on while Cornelius was finger-penetrating her, giving her oral sex and having sexual intercourse with her.

She told police that each time she woke up during the incident, she was too intoxicated to move and that the only thing she could say was, "Just let [my friend] walk me home; I have to go to class."

After she woke up the following morning without clothes on, she left the fraternity.

According to the criminal complaint, when she was leaving the fraternity, she overheard Cornelius commenting to others in the house about his actions the night before.

Once she got back to her dorm room, the victim went to Mount Nittany Medical Center for treatment.

At Cornelius' preliminary hearing yesterday, the victim broke down in tears as she testified that she was Catholic and was planning to wait for marriage to have sex, police said.

The victim's friend told police she attempted several times to get the victim to leave with her, but the victim said her other friend would take her home. Her friend said she argued with Cornelius, who insisted that the victim stay.

The victim's friend told police she was upset about leaving her friend, but their other friend assured her that he would take care of the victim, according to court documents.

Cornelius is also charged with selling or furnishing liquor or malt or brewed beverages to minors. He was bound over for trial on all charges.

His pretrial is scheduled for May 18 at the Centre County Courthouse; jury selection is scheduled for June 5.


 



TOP  HOME
Blogs  About  Contact Us  Back Issues  Advertising 

Copyright © 2009 Collegian Inc.