ST. PAUL, Minn. - A Hinckley man is charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault that took place inside a dorm on the campus of Hamline University last May.
Ramsey County prosecutors say 23-year-old Pierce Gerald Heston raped the victim after a house party early the morning of May 15. A criminal complaint filed against Heston says he followed the victim home when she decided to leave the party around 1 a.m., saying he promised her sister he would make sure she got home safe. Instead, the victim says, he invited himself up to her room, threw her down on a bed and sexually assaulted her.
After being assaulted the victim says she told Heston she needed to go to the bathroom, where she texted a number of friends asking them to help her. While she was sitting outside the dorm with one of those friends Heston allegedly walked out of the dorm and left the scene after having a verbal exchange with one of the victim's friends.
The victim's sister came and convinced her to call Campus Security, and she was eventually taken to Regions Hospital to be treated for her injuries and to undergo a sexual assault exam. DNA matched a sample taken from Heston after he was arrested.
A friend of the defendant also told police that Heston confided to him that he had "f***** up last night," and that a girl was accusing him of sexual assault.
If found guilty Pierce Gerald Heston faces a potential 30-year sentence and $40,000 fine.
