Former CU Boulder Italian exchange student accused of sexual assault

 

A former Italian exchange student at the University of Colorado has been arrested after a woman said he sexually assaulted her in 2016.

Giroloma Francesco Messeri, 20, was arrested on Friday, nearly a year after a judge signed a warrant for his arrest on suspicion of sexual assault, unlawful sexual contact and false imprisonment.

According to an arrest affidavit, a woman and her friend — neither of whom were from Boulder or associated with CU — were walking on University Hill on Sept. 9, 2016, when they met Messeri and his roommate.

The four decided to go back to Messeri’s dorm in Williams Village at 30th and Baseline in Boulder to hang out.

The woman told police that Messeri began kissing her neck while the four were on a futon. A short time later, Messeri told the woman to “come with me, I want to show you something,” before leading her into a bathroom.

The woman said Messeri then forced her to her knees and forced her to perform oral sex. When she tried to leave, the woman said Messeri blocked the door, according to the affidavit.

The woman said Messeri eventually let her leave, and she told her friend what had happened and they left.

According to the affidavit, the woman went to CU police on Sept. 12, at which time police were able to pull surveillance to confirm all four had entered Messeri’s dorm.

Police also talked to Messeri, who said that the encounter was consensual. He said that he would have stopped because “it’s not that difficult to get a girl.”

When told that the woman said the encounter was not consensual, police said Messeri became emotional and said, “if this girl has something to say, then I will call the Embassy and then we will see what happens with this university.”

Police referred the case to CU’s Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance, which found Messeri to be in violation of its sex assault policy “based on a more likely than not standard of proof” and expelled him from the university, according to the affidavit.

CU provided information found in its investigation to police, though that information was not included in the affidavit.

A warrant for Messeri’s arrest was signed on Jan. 20, 2017, but he had already left the country.

Boulder District Attorney spokeswoman Catherine Olguin said Messeri was found and detained in Utah prior to being extradited to Boulder. He is being held at the Boulder County Jail while he awaits a bond hearing on Tuesday.