Editor's note: The Collegian does not name victims of crime without their permission. Confidential sexual assault resources for UR students include CARE Advocates, which can be reached at advocate@richmond.edu or 804.801.6251; Peer Sexual Misconduct Advisors (PSMA), at psma@richmond.edu or 804.346.7674; CAPS, at CAPS@richmond.edu or 804.289.8119; Virginia LGBTQ Partner Abuse and Sexual Assault Helpline (24/7), at 866.356.6998; Greater Richmond Regional Hotline (24/7), at 804.612.6126; National Sexual Assault Hotline (24/7) at 800.656.HOPE.
This article has been updated to reflect a change in the criminal defense attorney representing the student.
Police charged University of Richmond sophomore Kyle Kressler with rape by force or threat, strangulation resulting in wound or injury and malicious wounding on Oct. 25, according to Richmond-John Marshall Criminal-Traffic General District Court records.
The incidents were reported to have taken place in the Gray Court dormitory at 5:55 p.m. on Oct. 23, according to the UR Police Department crime log. A member of the UR community made the report, according to an email sent to The Collegian on Oct. 28 by Cynthia Price, associate vice president of media and public relations.
A timely warning sent to UR faculty, staff and students on Oct. 24 by URPD Captain Eric Beatty stated that a sexual assault had taken place on Oct. 23 in Gray Court, and the persons involved were known to each other.
Kressler’s arraignment took place on Oct. 26, and his preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. on Nov. 16, according to district court records.
Kressler was released from custody during the pretrial period on bail, according to district court records. Kressler is not on campus, according to an email sent to The Collegian on Oct. 29 by Price.
The charges Kressler received are classified as a class 3 felony for malicious wounding, class 6 felony for strangulation and unclassified felony for rape. Rape is punishable by a five-year minimum sentence or life imprisonment; class 3 felonies are punishable by a five-year minimum sentence or 20-year maximum sentence; and class 6 felonies are punishable by a one-year minimum sentence or 5-year maximum sentence, according to Virginia Codes § 18.2-10 and § 18.2-61.
URPD Detective Angie Dubose was listed in court records as the complainant for the charges.
Criminal defense attorney Theodore Bruns is set to represent Kressler, according to district court records.
William Dinkin, an adjunct professor at UR and T.C. Williams School of Law graduate, was previously set to represent Kressler. The Collegian was notified of this change by Price in an email on Nov. 8.
The Collegian could not reach Dinkin for comment as of 9:15 p.m. on Oct. 28.
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A URPD investigation is ongoing in collaboration with local authorities, Price wrote in the Oct. 28 email.
“University staff have been in contact with the member of our community who made the report and her family and are continuing to offer support and resources,” Price wrote in the Oct. 28 email.
Steve Bisese, vice president for student development, sent an email to students that included sexual misconduct resources on Oct. 28 at 6:19 p.m.
“As the colors of fall come to our campus, I am also mindful that the period between orientation and Thanksgiving is sometimes referred to as the ‘Red Zone’ on college campuses because national data shows that there is a higher incidence of reports of sexual misconduct during this period of time. […]
“My colleagues and I are dedicated to doing all we can to prevent and respond to sexual misconduct as we seek to embody the values of a campus community of care and support,” Bisese wrote.
Bisese did not reference any specific instances of sexual assault in the email.
URPD has sent four total timely warnings to community members this semester -- all for sexual assault -- spanning from Sept. 19 to Oct. 24.
Contact copy chief Maddy Richard at madison.richard@richmond.edu, editor-in-chief Morgan Howland at morgan.howland@richmond.edu and managing editor Meredith Moran at meredith.moran@richmond.edu.
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