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Guilt denied in college sex case



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By Susan Smallheer STAFF WRITER - Published: October 29, 2009

BRATTLEBORO – A 19-year-old college student at Landmark College pleaded innocent Wednesday to charges he sexually assaulted a fellow student, who has the mental capacity of a 10- to 12-year-old.

Reed L. Stewart of Libertyville, Ill., a Chicago suburb, was ordered held for lack of $20,000 cash bail after District Judge Karen Carroll rejected a defense suggestion that he be held on a minimum appearance bond.

According to Vermont State Police affidavits filed in the case, the female student let Stewart into her dorm room early Friday morning while her roommate was there and they had both been asleep.

But she told police that while she initially wanted to have sex with Stewart, she asked him to stop at one point and he refused.

The girl, who is 18 years old, but has the mental capacity of a 10- or 12-year-old due to a nonverbal learning disability similar to autism, reported the incident to her parents via an e-mail, who in turn notified Landmark College officials, who called the state police.

The girl was diagnosed with pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified, or PPD-NOS, which "is on the autistic spectrum and very similar to Asperger's syndrome," the police affidavit stated.

"According to the (girl's) parents, although she is 18 years old, she has the mentality of a 10- to 12-year-old girl," wrote Detective Richard Holden.

Landmark College, which is in Putney, specializes in junior college classes for students with learning disabilities, such as dyslexia.

The girl told police that Stewart told her to take off her clothes and that if she didn't, he would do it for her, so she complied.

After initial sexual contact, the girl told Stewart to stop because it hurt.

"She advised that after several gentle pleas to stop, she had to become aggressive with him … and yelled, 'Please stop now!'" the affidavit stated.

The girl told police the assault continued for 15 to 20 minutes, until a neighboring student knocked on her door and Stewart left.

At the end of the interview with police officers, the girl told police that she "wanted to have sex with Stewart, but when it began to hurt, she changed her mind."

Stewart told police officers at first that he and the female student did not have sex, but then changed his story and said they had – a week earlier.

Stewart later told police that he did go to the girl's room Thursday night, and that at first it was consensual, but then she asked him to stop. He said he stopped after a minute.

He told police he knew the girl had a learning disability.

Carroll noted that Stewart had charges pending against him in Chicago, including leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and driving while under the influence, stemming from an accident in May.

According to police, Landmark College police said they had had "several" issues with Stewart over alcohol issues, even though Stewart told police that he didn't drink alcohol or do drugs.

Defense attorney Daniel McManus of Bennington told the judge, who ran the hearing via telephone conference call, that Stewart's mother, Cindy Stewart, had flown to Vermont from Chicago to help her son resolve the case. He suggested a $10,000 appearance bond, or 10 percent cash.

McManus said Cindy Stewart worked for Delta Airlines and thus air transportation wouldn't be an issue for Reed Stewart getting back and forth to Vermont during the case.

But the judge rejected McManus' suggestion, noting that Stewart faced a potential life in prison under the sexual assault law and he had no ties to the area and had been, at least for the time being, suspended from Landmark.

In the event that Stewart posted the $20,000 bail, he was ordered not to have any contact with the girl and not come within 300 feet of her.

susan.smallheer@rutlandherald.com








READER COMMENTS


This is not the first time Landmark College has had a rape occur. Back in the late 90's a young woman was raped on a pool table after some of these so called "wholesome" college lads watched that movie based on a true story, a woman who is raped in a bar on a pool table in Fall River MA where people actually cheered on the 4 men who did this heinous crime. And I remember this well because the Dean of Students was upset because the Sheriff's Dept released a press release advising of the vicious assault on a 19 year old student by Landmark students. What he wanted the dept to say was that 4 men raped an woman in Putney and not name the college and the dept refused to retract the release and I applauded them for that and all the college was worried about was parents withdrawing their daughters, hence, all that tuition money would go with them. And I am wondering if they tried to stop a release from going out or did the parent's of the studentsstood up to them. Now I know some of you are mystified as to how an autistic person could be in college, Landmark is a special needs school, kids that are bright in some cases that just have learning disabilities and then it is also a dumping ground for rich kids who could not get into Harvard or were kicked out of an Ivy League school usually due to bad behavior from what I have gathered,, but still had to show Daddy that they could get a degree or lose the inheritance. And over the years, there have been many other incidents, drug possession and actually selling drugs, physical assaults and people ripping off dorm rooms and each other and as much as Landmark tries to come off as being a safe and pleasant atmosphere, it isn't and this latest incident is a prime example. Now another woman has been raped and how much of this do you think the college would like to sweep under the rug? When a woman says no, she means no, now granted the woman states that she wanted to have sex and she is of age, but her mental age belies the fact that this was consensual. She might have a woman's body and sexual urges of an 19 year old, but in reality, she is but a child. And this bird says he knew she was autistic, but still felt compelled to rape her? Now those little spoiled rich brats involved in the first rape, did get prison time, but not enough, typical VT sentences for rapists and this guy here, should also get some time, but if I know VT he will probably get the ever popular probation and I am betting he has rich parents with the $600 billable hour attorney and that it might go away all together. So in my opinion, if you have a bright child that just happens to have learning disabilities, don't send them to Landmark.
-- Posted by Linda Brown on Fri, Oct 30, 2009, 5:59 pm EST

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None None: I agree, NO MEANS NO and everyone has a right to an education. Where you lose me is when you lose sight of the fact that this girl has the mental capacity of a 10 - 12 year old. Would you send your 3rd or 4th grader to live in a college dorm without supervision? If so, I would only have to say it is my opinion that you are somewhat like everyone else - as you put it - a ***********. The college and the parents of this girl should hold some responsibility for putting her in a compromised position in the first place.
-- Posted by White Witch on Fri, Oct 30, 2009, 7:59 am EST

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She shouldn't have been a Indian Giver! She sounds like she should be at a Mental Hospital College, awful fishy to me!
-- Posted by True Vermonter on Thu, Oct 29, 2009, 7:30 pm EST

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Yes, when a woman says no she means no. But what about when a woman says yes and then decides afterwards she meant no?

See, in a liberal culture like VT, truth has little to do with the accusation of a sex crime. A woman's word is taken as infallible, and a man's is suspect.

There's a political dimension -- it is simply political incorrect to question the veracity of a woman's story.

I wonder why this is so?

As for me, when I hear that a "college student" has the intellect of a fourth grader and THAT's why a young man has been arrested for rape, I am suspicious that someone is not telling the truth. (Has anyone bothered to wonder why the "10-12 year old" bit is even relevant? People have said it themselves: no means no... So where does the low intellect aspect factor in? Is that simply to help the case "stick" on the alleged rapist?)

Politics. I hope the truth will be known regardless.

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-- Posted by mark on Thu, Oct 29, 2009, 7:01 pm EST

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I guess I don't get the mental capacity of a 10-12 year old in a person with PDD-NOS. Most people with PDD-NOS or Apergers are very intelligent. People on the autistic spectrum generally have high I.Q.'s. Something sounds like B.S. to me. I agree when a girl says no it's no! He should have stopped. But I think the girls smarter than her parents are letting on. If anything she is not going to cognitively understand the consequences this boy is going to face.
-- Posted by SB None on Thu, Oct 29, 2009, 4:35 pm EST

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Why is she not entitled to an education? you people are fuc-ked in the head, when a woman says no it means no, After that its his fault if he doesn't stop that is why its called Rape and Sexual Assault. Nice to know *********** like you condone the rape of a mentally disabled person whom has every god damn right to be in college if she wants to be.
-- Posted by None None on Thu, Oct 29, 2009, 1:04 pm EST

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A college student with the mental capacity of a 10-12 year old? This can't be right. If it is true what in God's name is she doing living on her own in a dorm room? A 10-12 year old needs supervision, living at home with parents or in a home with other responsible adults.
-- Posted by Angel None on Thu, Oct 29, 2009, 12:10 pm EST

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So a young woman with the mind of a 10 - 12 year old is a college student at Landmark? This doesn't add up.

Yes, Landmark's mission is unique, but I didn't think it including admitting intellects equal to fourth graders. Sounds like this could be another case of VT's sex crimes hysteria.

In VT, all men are seen as likely rapists, and women as meek and fragile maidens in need of vigilant state protection. There's something archaic about it all.

Indeed, one of the huge ironies of VT's supposed "liberal" culture is that it is necessitating a return to traditional rigid sexual mores. In a state that now has funded sex police squads, do YOU want your boys thinking they can experiment sexually with a girl who can simply change her mind and destroy your son's life?
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-- Posted by mark on Thu, Oct 29, 2009, 11:19 am EST

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