GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A man accused of sexually assaulting a student at a Belmont Abbey College dormitory appeared in a Gaston County courtroom on Tuesday.
John Foster Alexander, 38, is accused of inappropriately touching a student after entering Belmont Abbey College’s resident halls earlier this month.
Officials said Alexander entered the dorm hall, got inside one of the rooms, and touched an individual; they also say she screamed and ran away.
Earlier this month, he turned himself in following the reported attack. Mecklenburg County Jail records showed that he was released on Sept. 6 on a $50,000 secured bond.
On Tuesday, Sept. 19, Alexander was booked back into jail, in Gaston County, on a $500,000 bond. Charges include first-degree burglary, breaking and entering, sexual battery, second-degree trespassing, and secret peeping.
Officials with the school told Queen City News that the dorm building is and was “secure” when the reported assault occurred. They said the suspect gained access through an open side door.
Belmont Abbey College issued a statement following the incident, that said in part:
“We take safety very seriously and have over the years improved many aspects of our campus security. We’ve installed security cameras, and we are installing new gates, at our entrance as well as at the residential side of campus. We are also soon rolling out a new policy that requires wearing your ID at all times. And all of our new halls require key card access like this one did.”
