Bernardsville Pre-Med Student Charged With Sex Assault On Campus

BERNARDSVILLE, NJ — A Bernardsville local and pre-med student at Northwestern University has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman on campus last weekend.

Scott Thomas, 20, allegedly sexually assaulted a woman in the 2000 block of Sheridan Road near the Jacobs Center on the Evanston campus at the Illinois university around 2 a.m. on Saturday, March 16, authorities report.

Thomas was arrested on March 19 and charged with one count of criminal sexual assault (Class 1 felony), a spokesman with the Cook County State's Attorney's Office said.

Thomas had met the woman earlier that night at a soccer party, according to authorities at the March 20 bail hearing.

Witnesses reported seeing Thomas holding the "lifeless" woman, who "could not stand on her own" against a glass door and sexually assaulting her. When one student called out to Thomas and approached him, he reportedly pulled up his pants and tucked in his shirt, according to the authorities.

Northwestern University Chief of Police Bruce Lewis confirmed the incident but did not disclose Thomas' name.

"We realize the report of a sexual assault on our campus is difficult for many people in our community," Lewis stated in a release.

Thomas posted a $50,000 bond and was released. He must follow special conditions of the bail including no contact with the victim or witnesses in this case, no firearms, being placed on GPS and surrendering his passport.

The next hearing on the case will be heard on April 3 at 9 a.m.at the Cook County Courthouse in Skokie, Illinois.

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