A man was sexually battered Saturday night after police said he was approached from behind and taken to a patch of woods by another man near McCarty Hall.
The victim said he was walking on McCarty Drive between Newins-Ziegler Hall and the McCarty Hall parking lot shortly before 8 p.m., police said. While walking, a man came up behind him and grabbed him by the arm before taking him into the woods.
The victim said once they entered the woods, the man sexually battered him and then fled the area on foot. He is not pursuing a criminal investigation.
The 5-foot-8-inch, 150-pound suspect had tan skin and light brown hair, police said. The victim said he was wearing blue jeans and a “brownish/reddish” polo shirt.
University Police said there is no indication at the time that this incident is related to the string of assaults that occurred both on and near UF’s campus in late August and early September.
Police still urge students to avoid walking alone and to utilize the Student Nighttime Auxiliary Patrol, which operates from 8:30 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily. Students can also use the Walk Safe escort service, which operates from 7 to 11 p.m. throughout the week as well.
