Univ. of Wisconsin student charged on 34 counts of sexual assault
Alec Cook, a 20 year old Minnesota native, is being charged on dozens of complaints of sexual assault that took place on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Cook was initially charged on 11 counts of sexual assault of 5 woman that spanned from 3/15 to 10/16.
Cook kept a notebook that contained details of his victims. When the Wisconsin State Journal ran this story, it quickly became a national news story. This prompted more woman who Cook had assaulted to come forward and file against him.
Cook's lawyer feels his clients actions were consensual and tried to make the claim that Cook was the victim of a social media slander campaign.
Alec Cook remains in jail. His bond was set at $200,000, but his lawyer wants Cook to stay in jail admits concerns for his safety.
Several women have come forward since Cook was first charged. Many said they felt "empowered" after other women spoke out. Madison Police expect more women to come forward as this progresses. One woman told Madison Police officers, “I saw the news story and was empowered by another girl being able to tell what happened to her, that I thought I could now finally tell,”
As The Washington Post reported:
According to WKOW, the notebook included a series of women’s names. “‘Each entry showed how he met the female, and what he liked about them. Further entries went on to document what he wanted to do with the females,’ ” the station said, quoting a police detective’s affidavit supporting a search warrant in the case.
“ ‘Disturbingly enough there were statements of ‘kill’ and statements of ‘sexual desires.’ ”
Will Alec Cook receive an adequate sentence, or will this be another situation like the Brock Turner case?
(Article by Jaimes Campbell)