BSU student charged with sexual assault

Starting in early 1994, I worked for my first-ever newspaper, The Northern Student, the student newspaper at Bemidji State University, where I attended and received my bachelor's degree in mass communication. Over three years, I would be a staff writer, news editor, managing editor and editor. I wrote everything from news stories to feature stories to sports stories to opinion pieces. It was the greatest training ground a journalist could ever have, and I am grateful to the many talented people I worked alongside in my years at The NS.

Sept. 20, 1995

By Devlyn Brooks

A Bemidji State University student has been charged with criminal sexual conduct and will face his second court appearance on Sept. 25.

Aaron Novak, a first-year student in 1994-95, has been charged, along with a University of Minnesota-Duluth student, in conjunction with an alleged rape that occurred on the UMD campus March 26.

According to UMD Campus Police records, the incident occurred in the Stadium Apartments at 1 a.m. on Sunday, March 26. Campus Police Capt. Harry Michalicek said that the woman reported the incident soon after.

The victim's affidavit reports that she was home alone in her apartment for the weekend because her roommates were out of town. She said that she had hosted a "mellow party" earlier in the evening which ended about midnight. The victim had consumed alcohol during the party and said she could feel the effects of it. The apartment door was unlocked when she went to bed.

The two men allegedly entered her room unannounced, one of whom she recognized. They allegedly removed her clothing, raped her repeatedly, then left the room.

Upon exiting the building, the two men met a roommate of the victim. The roommate said that both men were eager to leave and left at a quick pace.

When the roommate returned to her room, she found the victim nude and crying. The roommate contacted the Campus Police, who took the victim to a hospital, Michalicek said, in an earlier interview.

This was the information compiled on the victim's affidavit on March 26.

On March 31, the UMD Campus Police received a search warrant for physical evidence, such as samples of the suspects' blood, hair and saliva. The sexual assault evidence was sent to the Bureau of Criminal Arrests and was filed in court.

Novak was charged with felony sexual assault in conjunction for the rape. At that time, he told police that he had consensual oral sex with the woman, and according to investigators, the alleged rape was not likely planned in advance. Novak's attorney said from what his client told him, he felt Novak was innocent.

However, by July 13, Novak's story to police had changed three times. Shortly after the rape, he told police that he and a friend left a party and stopped by another apartment in the complex. When no one answered their knock, they entered the room and saw a woman fall down. Novak said they carried her to her bed and left.

After this statement, the police told Novak that the woman said she was sexually assaulted. At which point, Novak changed the story.

He then told police that he, his friend and the woman entered the room together.

Novak said he waited in the living room until his friend exited the bedroom. He then entered the bedroom to find the woman naked on her bed. He said he tried to cover her up, and she grabbed at him, unzipped his pants and performed oral sex on him.

Police once again informed Novak of a differing story told by the victim. She said that Novak had had sexual intercourse with her twice. Novak said that he didn't remember either of them having sex with her that evening.

A few days later, Novak called the police and added more details. He told the police that he had not had a clear train of thought when they had questioned him.

In his updated version of the story, he told police that his friend was carrying a used condom when he left the bedroom. He added that after he had oral sex with the woman, he lay down by her, they kissed and she rubbed herself against him.

Novak added that when his friend returned to the bedroom and asked her if she wanted to have oral sex again, she said yes. She then performed oral sex on his friend, Novak said.

Editor's note: Some information in this article was paraphrased in length with the permission of the University of Minnesota-Duluth's Statesman newspaper.