A 19-year-old male college student cited “Fifty Shades of Grey” when he was charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old female student.
Mohammad Hossain, a freshman at the University of Illinois at Chicago, appeared dumbfounded when a judge set his bail at $500,000 and sent him back into lockup.
Hossain is otherwise known as a star student, involved in several UIC leadership programs, student ambassador to the alumni association, and on the triathlon team. Because of his clean record, the judge stated he was confused as to how the young man could have been influenced by a movie to commit such a reprehensible crime.
According to Assistant State’s Attorney, Sarah Karr, Hossain and the victim had a prior intimate relationship, but were not dating. During the incident, he asked her to remove her clothes, which she did except her bra and underwear, and he proceeded to bind her hands above her head with a belt, bind her legs, and silenced her with a tie in her mouth. Hossain then began striking her with another belt as the victim began to shake her head and cry:
Hossain continued striking the woman — including with his fists, according to an arrest report — and she managed to get one arm, and then another, free. But he then held her arms behind her back and sexually assaulted her as she continued to plead for him to stop, according to Karr.
When the victim was finally able to leave she told another person and then the police, who arrested Hossain in his dormitory later that night.
According to Karr, he admitted “doing something wrong” and assaulting the woman, but told police that they were re-enacting scenes from the film, “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
Image c/o Universal Studios, Cook County Sheriff’s Department
