Former University of Idaho student Jesse Vierstra, 21, has been charged with rape and faces a January trial, but according to a Moscow Police Department report this is not Vierstra’s first encounter with sexually motivated crimes.
In Vierstra’s current MPD rape charge report, a witness told Moscow police that Vierstra left UI in 2011 because of two prior sexually motivated battery allegations.
In the first allegation, which occurred on Aug. 22, 2011, a UI female student told police Vierstra raped her in his bedroom at Sigma Chi during a fraternity party.
On Aug. 27, 2011 police reported a second UI female student accused Vierstra of raping her in his fraternity bedroom during a fraternity party. The same night Vierstra also received a supplying alcohol to a minor charge for providing the same female with a drink during the party.
Both battery charges and the charge for supplying alcohol to a minor were dismissed in January 2012, according to the police report. The same day Vierstra’s charges were dismissed, he was charged with disturbing the peace for the Aug. 27 battery charge, to which Vierstra pled guilty. He paid a fine of $240 plus $137.50 in court costs.
Since his arrest on Oct. 7, 2012, Vierstra has been held in the Latah County Jail until his scheduled Jan. 28 trial. His bond was set at $125,000.
Moscow defense attorney Ben Onosko asked to reduce Vierstra’s bond to $5,000 during the preliminary and pre-trial hearings. Latah County Magistrate John Judge denied Onosko’s request during the preliminary hearing and described Vierstra’s alleged behavior as “predatory.” Second District Court Judge Carl B. Kerrick upheld Vierstra’s bond at the pre-trial hearing, citing Judge’s reasoning.
Viersta has pled not guilty to the current rape charge and faces life in prison if convicted.
Katy Sword can be reached at [email protected]