Man re-indicted in alleged rape of OWU student

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A Columbus man was re-indicted on charges of rape and sexual battery Friday by a Delaware County grand jury.

Brandon Michael Ward, 29, of Columbus, was indicted Friday and charged with two counts of rape, which are first-degree felonies; two counts of sexual battery, third-degree felonies; and one charge of theft, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Delaware police report the charges stem from an incident in June.

Police say they were called by staff at Grady Memorial Hospital after a 21-year-old Ohio Wesleyan University student checked herself in and alleged that she had been raped and sexually assaulted by Ward.

Police learned that the student had invited an acquaintance, Ward, to visit her dorm room the night of June 23. However, the woman said that during the visit she fell asleep and Ward raped her while she was unconscious.

Police allege that Ward also stole $609 from the student’s dorm room after the assault. Police say the victim and Ward were not romantically involved.

After police investigated, they issued a warrant for Ward’s arrest through Delaware Municipal Court. When they learned that he had relocated to Columbus, they contacted U.S. marshals, who arrested him on July 24.

An arraignment in Delaware County Common Pleas Court has been set for Aug. 10 at 2:30 p.m. Ward was in the Delaware County Jail Friday.

Ward was previously indicted on July 29 on a charge of rape, a charge of sexual battery and a charge of theft. Friday’s indictment includes an additional rape charge and an additional sexual battery charge. The indictment indicates the new offenses are part of the same incident.

Ward
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2016/08/web1_brandon-ward.jpgWard Courtesy photo | Delaware County Jail

By Glenn Battishill

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Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903 or on Twitter @BattishillDG.

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