Man charged with raping woman on campus of Mary Baldwin University in Staunton
STAUNTON — A man remains jailed following his arrest last week amid allegations he forcibly raped a woman on the campus of Mary Baldwin University in Staunton.
The suspect is also accused of holding the woman against her will.
Alex A.J. Paxton, 24, of Shenandoah, is charged with rape, strangulation, and abduction. Authorities arrested Paxton on Feb. 27 in Harrisonburg with the help of the United States Marshals Service Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force.
The alleged attack took place Feb. 17 in a dormitory room on the campus of Mary Baldwin University, according to an affidavit to a search warrant filed by an investigator with the Staunton Police Department.
Police said the woman was checked by a sexual assault nurse examiner, and the affidavit said a strangulation assessment showed her body reportedly had signs of an assault.
While under questioning, police said Paxton denied the allegations.
Court records show that Paxton and his accuser knew one another. The Staunton Police Department reported he is not a student at the university.
Authorities have collected Paxton's DNA as part of the investigation, court records show.
He is being held without bond at Middle River Regional Jail in Verona.
Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at [email protected]. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Man charged with raping woman on campus of MBU in Staunton
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