Fraternity President Charged With Attempted Rape at Cornell
The 21-year-old president of an Ivy League fraternity has been arrested in connection with an alleged sexual assault that occurred last weekend at his fraternity house.
Wolfgang Ballinger, the president of Psi Upsilon at Cornell University, was charged with three felonies, according to Buzzfeed News: first-degree attempted rape, first-degree criminal sexual assault, and first-degree sex abuse.
The Cornell University Police Department released a statement on Facebook detailing Ballinger’s arrest:
With the assistance of the victim, police were able to identify Ballinger as the perpetrator. At the request of the police through his attorney, Ballinger turned himself in to Cornell Police investigators Feb. 4 and was charged with first-degree attempted rape, a Class C felony; first-degree criminal sexual act, a Class B felony; and first-degree sexual abuse, a Class D felony.
Ballinger was arraigned in Ithaca City Court and was remanded to the Tompkins County Jail in lieu of $25,000 cash bail or $50,000 bond. Ballinger is due back in Ithaca City Court on Tuesday, Feb. 9 at 11 a.m. for a preliminary hearing.
Ballinger, from New York City posted an autobiographical video about his life on YouTube last month:
According to the Cornell Daily Sun, the fraternity is not on interim suspension. The national headquarters of Psi Upsilon also suspended the Cornell chapter after Ballinger’s arrest, saying in a statement that “any form of sexual harassment, is against our policy and in opposition of the values of Psi Upsilon.”
[Image via Tompkins County Jail]
