Ex-Northwestern Student Indicted On 8 Counts Of Sexual Assault

SKOKIE, IL — An expelled Northwestern University student pleaded not guilty Wednesday on charges of sexual assault and battery of a fellow student in connection with an incident earlier this year at an Evanston house party.

Nicholas D. Nelson, 22, was indicted last week on eight counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault after turning himself in on a warrant on Oct. 31, according to police and prosecutors. He is accused of raping an acquaintance while she was intoxicated at a party at his home in February and causing internal injuries consistent with a sexual assault.

Police said the woman remembered passing out after being offered shots of alcohol before waking up to find Nelson naked and choking her from above. She said they were in Nelson's room at the time.

Nelson's lawyer said Nelson had been attending Northwestern on a scholarship and had a 3.2 grade point average (prior to his expulsion.) Defense attorney Richard Friedman said Nelson was an Eagle Scout who volunteered with senior citizens, according to the Chicago Tribune. He said his client did not have any previous criminal convictions (neglecting to mention a guilty plea filed on Nelson's behalf less than a year before he was accused of rape.)

A university spokesperson released a statement confirming Nelson was expelled following an investigation by its Office of Equity, the Daily Northwestern reported. University spokespeople have declined repeated requests to provide any comment on Nelson or the incident in question.

The president of Nelson's former fraternity at Northwestern said it expelled him in June 2016 as a result of an incident not related to sexual misconduct. Records show Nelson was arrested by Chicago police at 350 N. LaSalle Drive and charged with burglary and criminal damage of more than $10,000.

Nelson pleaded guilty in March 2017 to a reduced charge of misdemeanor criminal damage to a restaurant and was fined $500 and sentenced to two years court supervision, the Tribune reported. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the burglary charge, but court records show the case has been reactivated since his arrest last month. The charges could be reinstated if Nelson is found to have violated the terms of his supervision.

A separate lawyer representing Nelson before Judge Aleksandra Gillespie Nov. 28 in Skokie asked for changes to the terms of his bail so that Nelson may be allowed to travel to his family's home in Minnesota over the holidays, according to the Daily. Attorney Steven Fine also asked that Nelson be allowed to seek a job near his current home of Palatine. Nelson declined to comment.

Records show Nelson has been held under electronic monitoring since Nov. 1 after posting the $5,000 cash portion of his bond. He is due back in court Dec. 10 for a ruling on motions from defense attorneys to loosen the terms of his bail.

Earlier: Expelled Northwestern Student Charged With Raping Woman At Party