A student at the University of Central Arkansas reported to campus police Friday that she was raped by a classmate who had walked her back to a residence hall from a party.
Michael Andrew Zeher, 18, of Bentonville has been arrested on a charge of rape in the case, according to the affidavit filed in Faulkner County Circuit Court.
In a court filing Monday, Zeher waived a formal arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty.
An officer with the UCA Police Department responded around 1:30 a.m. Friday to a residence hall for freshmen and sophomores east of Estes Stadium in reference to a sexual assault.
The victim told authorities that she believed Zeher had sexually assaulted her after a party at the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity house.
Zeher walked the victim, who reportedly was intoxicated and did not feel well, back to the dorm, one of the victim’s friends told campus police.
Zeher said during questioning that he had sexual intercourse with the victim, acknowledging that she was “incoherent” at times, according to the affidavit.
When asked why he had sex with the victim, Zeher reportedly replied that he had liked her for some time and “had feelings for her.”
The rape was the first reported at UCA during the 2017-18 academic year, which began late last month, said officer Michael Hooper, spokesman for the campus police department.
UCA spokeswoman Christina Madsen said the university is unable to provide details on the investigation, citing privacy laws. Madsen noted that campus police continue to investigate and are working with prosecutors on the case.
Zeher’s name did not appear in an online inmate roster for the Faulkner County jail Tuesday.
