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Former SU student accused of sexual assault out of jail after posting bond

Gavin Liddell | Staff Photographer

Cohen, who is no longer a student at SU, faces charges of rape, attempted sexual assault and burglary.

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UPDATED: Dec. 16, 2020 at 4:15 p.m.

Former Syracuse University student Jacob Cohen will appear in Onondaga County Court on Jan. 13 after he was arrested Dec. 4 for the alleged sexual assault of two SU students.

Cohen, who is no longer a student at SU, faces charges of rape in the first degree, burglary in the second degree, attempted sexual abuse in the first degree and forcible touching.

Members of the United States Marshals Southern Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team arrested Cohen at his home in Ohio. He was extradited to Syracuse and was detained at the Onondaga County Justice Center on $200,000 bail. Cohen bonded out of jail Wednesday afternoon, Onondaga County Sheriff’s Sgt. Jon Seeber said.



Syracuse University’s Department of Public Safety on Aug. 29 responded to an assault complaint from Cohen, who was a freshman at SU. DPS found Cohen was involved in a physical confrontation that may have started when a student learned Cohen had allegedly sexually assaulted two SU students.

The Syracuse Police Department Abused Person’s Unit, DPS and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office determined that Cohen is a suspect after conducting a joint investigation of the assault immediately following notification from DPS, interviewing several people and analyzing physical evidence.

An SPD spokesperson confirmed to The Daily Orange in September that an SU student was under investigation for alleged sexual assault in Brewster Hall.

SPD is requesting that anyone with information about the investigation contact the department’s Abused Person’s Unit.

This post was updated with additional reporting.

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