Court documents detail additional allegations of sexual assault, drugging of women by former CMU Student Government Association President Ian Elliott


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Ian Elliott sits in the Isabella County Trial Courthouse for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 10 in Courtroom 3. Elliott is charged with two counts of third degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of assault with intent to commit sexual penetration. 

Court documents in the sexual assault case against a former Central Michigan University Student Government Association president provide insight about additional allegations of sexual assault and drugging women. 

Ian Elliott, 24, of Cheboygan, appeared Jan. 10 in Isabella County Trial Court for a preliminary examination. It was rescheduled for Feb. 11-12. 

Elliott who previously served as the SGA president, is charged with two counts of third degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of assault with intent to commit sexual penetration.

Elliott is accused of sexually assaulting CMU graduate student Rachel Wilson on Aug. 31, 2016 after meeting her at The Cabin. In an interview with CM Life, Wilson described feeling that disoriented after meeting up with Elliott even though she had only consumed 1 1/2 beers. Later, Elliott took her to his apartment where she vomited and passed out. She told police he sexually assaulted her after she regained consciousness. The university's Office of Civil Rights and Institutional Equity investigators found in Wilson’s favor and determined that the man had “engaged in sexual assault” in its case report. The office found that he engaged in sexual contact with a person who “was incapacitated on the evening of Aug. 31.” She “therefore was incapable of consenting to sexual activity,” the report states. 

OCRIE recommended that he be “suspended from the university for an appropriate amount of time” and that he have no further contact with Wilson. The university expelled Elliott.

Student Government Association posted on social media that Elliott resigned “due to personal reasons and opportunities.”

Criminal charges were originally filed against Elliott in early 2018. The case was scheduled to go to trial in May 2018, but was dismissed by acting Isabella County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Holmes in April 2018. On Oct. 31, 2018, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office filed a motion to reinstate the charges against Elliott. In December, the motion was denied by visiting Judge Kimberly Booher of Mecosta County. 

New charges were filed by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office on Dec. 20 and a warrant was issued for Elliott’s arrest. After he surrendered to police on Dec. 21, Elliott was arraigned on the three counts and a preliminary examination was scheduled. 

At the reinstatement motion hearing on Dec. 18, Assistant Attorney General Brian Kolodziej, who is leading the case, said he had found other woman who say they were assaulted Elliott, which Kolodziej noted happened in a similar way. 

According to court documents, “Witness 4” told police on one occasion Elliott was intoxicated and pulled his pants down, exposing his penis and demanded sex. 

The documents note that Elliott is accused of slapping Witness 4 in the face and “wanted her to reciprocate.” Other incidents Witness 4 described include Elliott becoming intoxicated and using “forceful assaultive behavior toward her” during sex. The last incident Witness 4 described happened after Elliott offered her Adderall which she refused to take. When they were having sex, Elliott “struck her with enough force to push her off of the bed.”  Court documents state she suffered bruising severe enough that it resulted in her parents contacting police.

Witness 4 also stated that she knows of at least two other women who had similar experiences with Elliott. 

“Witness 5” recalled a time she was given chocolates by Elliott. Later that evening she discovered the candy was an edible containing THC. Elliott also gave her wine. Witness 5 told police she began to feel “unusually intoxicated in a way that she had never felt before.” She felt nauseous and said she had no control over her motor skills. 

After noting this, she said Elliott responded to her by saying “Good, that’s how I want you to feel.” Elliott attempted to kiss Witness 5, which she was refused. Elliott continued to initiate sex with her. Witness 5 told police he said, “Why did you come here if you didn’t want to have sex with me?” Witness 5 said Elliott refused to take her home. She told police she passed out on the couch and woke up in Elliott’s bed, lying next to him. 

According to the documents, Witness 5 encountered Elliott other times, and one time at a party where another incident happened. At the party, Elliott “fish hooked” the witness, which means inserting his finger in her mouth. When he did this, he put Xanax in her mouth. After doing that she said he was kicked out of the party by friends upset by his behavior.

The alleged assault of Wilson that Elliott is being charged for, is noted to have happened in a similar way as the two witnesses. According to court documents, Elliott exposed himself and demanded Wilson to give him oral sex. After she refused, he also said to her, “Don’t you understand how this works? Why did you even come here?”

The preliminary examination that is set to take place at 9 a.m. on Feb. 11 and Feb. 12 at the Isabella County Trial Courthouse will include this new information and witness testimonies. Judge Eric Janes will be hearing the case. 

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Editor-in-Chief Emma Dale is a junior from Grand Haven double majoring in journalism and political ...

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