A 16-year-old student in Howard County, Maryland, has been accused of raping a 15-year-old student inside a bathroom during school hours earlier this week.
Both are students at Reservoir High School in Fulton, Maryland.
Howard County police spokesperson Sherry Llewellyn told WTOP that the 15-year-old female student agreed to meet the 16-year-old male student in a bathroom during school hours, and then, “she reported that he sexually assaulted her.”
The female student reported the incident shortly after it happened Monday, Llewellyn said.
“The victim in this case did the right thing and reported the incident right away to a school counselor,” Llewellyn said.
Police carried out their investigation Monday and Tuesday, Llewellyn said. On Wednesday morning, the 16-year-old suspect was arrested.
He has been charged with second-degree rape, second-degree assault and a fourth-degree sex offense, according to Howard County police. His name has not been released because of his age, but Llewellyn said he could be charged as an adult.
The Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office is reviewing the case.
School officials said they would not comment since it is now a police matter, but confirmed that, according to school policy, the male student will not be allowed back to school until the investigation is complete.
Reservoir High School principal Nelda Sims sent out a letter Wednesday to parents, saying that a Reservoir student had been charged “for an incident that occurred at the school,” but would not comment on the case.
The statement also asked “everybody to refrain from disseminating rumors or information that was not provided publicly by police.”
Sims also encouraged students upset by the news of the case to seek out counselors at school.
