A 29-year-old man has been arrested for sexually assaulting a Western Michigan freshman back in 2013.
The assault occurred in the victim’s dorm room when then-20-year-old Caleb James Watson of Milford was an acquaintance of the 18-year-old victim as they lived in the same dorm.
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Officials say Watson used force or coercion to frighten and overpower the victim and then committed numerous forced penetrations of her body with his penis.
The sexual assault resulted in both physical injury and long-term mental anguish to the victim.
“The work of our department, in collaboration with the SAKI units in Kalamazoo and elsewhere, continues to show sexual assault survivors that justice is still a viable pursuit, even ten years on,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “Our hope and goal is that this pursuit leads to aid the healing process for victims. Investigations, charges, convictions; these are important elements of a broader process of securing justice and helping victims to recover.”
“This case exemplifies the long-term trauma that can stay with the victims of sexual assault,” said Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting. “Victims often continue to deal with the impact of sexual assault for years, and for some victims it becomes a life-long struggle. Helping those victims obtain a sense of justice, even years after their assault happened, can be very important for their recovery. That is just one of the many reasons I am proud to be working with the Attorney General and our SAKI team on these difficult cases.”
Watson was arrested by the Michigan State Police Fugitive team in Livingston County on April 25 and charged with four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of assault with intent to commit penetration.
If convicted, he will face a maximum punishment of life in prison.
Watson’s bond was set at $250,000 cash or surety. If he can post bond, he will be supervised by the Office of Community Corrections and wear a GPS tether.
