Soldier accused of raping LSU student in her dorm room, campus police say
A soldier accused of raping a Louisiana State University student in her dorm room after a night of partying has been arrested, multiple news outlets report, citing campus police.
Officers arrested Desmond Saine, 22, on Thursday, March 24, at a U.S. Army Training Center in Vernon Parish, according to The Advocate. He was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on a charge of third-degree rape.
Saine, who’s from Little Rock, Arkansas, was assigned to the 519th Military Police Battalion at Fort Polk, a U.S. Army spokesperson confirmed to McClatchy News.
The alleged assault occurred in the early hours of March 13 after an off-campus party, WAFB reported, citing the LSU Police Department. The student said she drank heavily at the party where she and Saine exchanged social media information that night.
She said Saine contacted her after she’d left and asked to hang out at her dorm room, according to police.
Saine tried kissing her at the dorm, but she rebuffed his advances, WRBZ reported, citing arrest records. The soldier proceeded to take off her clothes and assault her even after she said “no,” the student told police. The student said she was still intoxicated at the time of her rape.
Saine denied raping the victim, police said, but acknowledged that she did not want him to kiss her, WBRZ and The Advocate reported.
In a statement, U.S. Army officials at the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk said they’re “working with local authorities and ensuring the Soldier is receiving due process.
Saine was booked into jail where he remained held as of March 25, online records show.
This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 2:56 PM with the headline "Soldier accused of raping LSU student in her dorm room, campus police say."