Miami sexual assault suspect says his life has been 'derailed'

Yuyang David Bai is on trial for sexual assault and aggravated robbery; closing arguments today.

Yuyang David Bai (right) a Miami student accused of sexual assault, appeared in front of Butler County Common Pleas Judge Michael Sage on Tuesday March 23, at the Butler County Government Services Center in Hamilton. According to university officials, 20-year-old Bai, of Illinois, is not currently enrolled at the university.

Staff photo by Nick Daggy Yuyang David Bai (right) a Miami student accused of sexual assault, appeared in front of Butler County Common Pleas Judge Michael Sage on Tuesday March 23, at the Butler County Government Services Center in Hamilton. According to university officials, 20-year-old Bai, of Illinois, is not currently enrolled at the university.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Yuyang David Bai, a Miami University student accused of sexual assault and wrestling with a police officer on Halloween night in a classroom, points to his walking routes on campus during court proceedings Wednesday, March 24, in Judge Michael Sage’s courtroom. Bai’s attorney, Wayne Staton, is also pictured.

Staff photo by Greg Lynch Yuyang David Bai, a Miami University student accused of sexual assault and wrestling with a police officer on Halloween night in a classroom, points to his walking routes on campus during court proceedings Wednesday, March 24, in Judge Michael Sage’s courtroom. Bai’s attorney, Wayne Staton, is also pictured.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Man drowns in Caesar Creek Lake
Updated 1 min. ago
CHCA students win Math Olympics awards
New 12 min. ago
Lakota to discuss open enrollment proposal
12:30 p.m.
Beach Waterpark sued for failure to deliver
12:25 p.m.
Road closing for railroad repairs
11:51 a.m.
> More headlines

By Josh Sweigart, Staff Writer Updated 10:15 AM Thursday, March 25, 2010

HAMILTON — He said he was only trying to help her, and a mutual affection developed.

She said she doesn’t remember meeting him because she had too much to drink. What she does remember, she said, was him putting his hand up her skirt and telling him no, and then a struggle when a police officer showed up and tussled with the young man.

Yuyang David Bai and the woman he is accused of sexually assaulting testified Wednesday, March 24.

Bai is charged with gross sexual imposition, assault and aggravated robbery.

Both were 19 at the time of the incident, in the early morning hours after Halloween night, and sophomores at Miami University.

Bai said his life was derailed. She said she was violated.

After closing arguments scheduled for today, it will be up to a jury to sort out the facts.

Bai, who is not currently enrolled at Miami, denied attacking the police officer who found them in the darkened classroom in a closed building. He said he “panicked” and tried to push past the officer, who he thought was a maintenance worker.

On cross-examination, Bai admitted talking with the uniformed officer for a few moments with the lights on before running.

Bai said he met the young woman while walking home from work: She was cold and locked out of her dorm.

She said she doesn’t remember meeting him.

“I was extremely intoxicated that night,” she said, explaining she had just been dropped off by a van from the hospital, where she was taken and cited for underage drinking.

Surveillance tapes show them walking together through the Shriver Center, buying ice cream at the convenience store there. He said they kissed and held hands.

“I asked her if she liked me, she said that she did. I asked if she thought I was cute, she said ‘yes,’ ” Bai said. “I asked her if I could kiss her, she said yes,’ ”

“I put my hand on her leg, and she responded favorably.”

She said she doesn’t remember being at the Shriver Center. All she knows is she ended up in Gaskill Hall with someone she didn’t know.

“I don’t remember going up to the room in was in. I just remember being inside a room and feeling uncomfortable and knowing I was in the wrong place,” she said.

And, she remembers the man she was with put his hand up her skirt, she said.

“I resisted and said no to him but he still touched me in a way that made me realize that what he was doing was inappropriate,” she said.

A Miami University police officer testified Tuesday, March 23, he put a stop to a sexual assault on campus after seeing Bai “almost dragging” a woman inside a campus building.

As he searched Gaskill Hall the early morning hours of Oct. 31, 2009, Officer Jay Young heard a female say, “no, please stop I don’t want it to go there,” he told a jury during the opening day of Bai’s trial in Butler County Common Pleas Court.

Share this article