Miami University student pleads guilty to sexual assault

A Miami University student has accepted guilt in the sexual assault of a woman in October.

Nicolas Cristescu, 20, who lived in the Pines Lodge residence hall at Heritage Commons, was indicted for rape and sexual battery as well as 11 misdemeanor counts of voyeurism for crimes that occurred between Oct. 11 and Oct. 12.

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Cristescu, of Cleveland, today pleaded guilty to gross sexual imposition, a third degree felony. He faces up to five years in prison. He will also be classified as a Tier I sexual offender. The remainder of the charges were dropped.

Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Kelly Heile said after the hearing that because the voyeurism charges are misdemeanors, Cristescu would not have received additional prison time if found guilty of those crimes. Sentencing was set by Judge Michael Oster for Feb. 5.

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Cristescu had sexual contact with the victim, and for the purpose of preventing resistance he “substantially impaired the judgment or control of the other person by administering to the person a controlled substance …. surreptitiously, by force or threat of force or deception,” according to the facts of the case read in court by Heile.

Cristescu is free on $75,000 bond that was posted late last month.

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