Professor suspended after sexual assault arrest
By Brittany Shammas (Last updated: 10/18/09 11:20pm)An MSU instructor is in jail and has been suspended with pay for 30 days after being arraigned Thursday on three counts of first degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of kidnapping.
Higuchi
University Spokesman Jason Cody said after reviewing the case, the university made the decision Friday to suspend Takashi Higuchi, an instructor and resident in the College of Veterinary Medicine, pending further action. Cody said he does not know when further action will be taken.
The East Lansing Police Department reported the 35-year-old Higuchi met the victim — a minor whose age is not being released but, according to the charges, is under the age of 16 — through an Internet dating site.
Police believe she is the only victim, East Lansing police Sgt. Jeff Murphy said.
Higuchi was arrested at about 11 p.m. Wednesday, according to a statement from the East Lansing Police Department. Further details of the arrest are not being released by police, as the incident remains under investigation, Murphy said.
“We weren’t releasing a lot of details on this,” he said. “There are still things we’re looking into.”
Higuchi pleaded not guilty to the charges in East Lansing’s 54-B District Court, before Judge David Jordon. He is being held in the Ingham County Jail without bond, according to a statement from the East Lansing Police Department.
Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III could not be reached for comment Sunday. Higuchi does not currently have an attorney.
Nikolaos Dervisis, an assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine and a colleague of Higuchi, said staff members were surprised to hear of the arrest.
“(Higuchi) is a very polite and a very quiet person,” he said. “He never causes any trouble.”
Higuchi is scheduled for a pretrial conference at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in East Lansing’s 54-B District Court.
Staff reporter Emily Wilkins contributed to this report.
Originally Published: 10/18/09 11:20pm
jill
10/19/09 2:03pmwhat kind of dating site allows 16 year olds on it?
Jason B
10/19/09 2:05pmJill, in case you didn’t know, it’s very easy to lie about your age online.
tedman
10/19/09 3:02pmJill, she was under the age of 16
Hope this guy knows how to pass the soap.
jill
10/19/09 10:48pmbut if she LIED then should he get arrested for it?
Erin
10/20/09 10:52pmSomeone UNDER 16 is not going to look THAT much older than she really is.
As well the article pretty strongly implies there was force involved besides the issue of age. Lying about your age doesn’t give someone the right to kidnap you and rape you.
E
10/20/09 11:14pmConsidering he is being charged with 3 counts of 1st degree CSC and no charges of 3rd degree CSC makes me wonder if she isn’t under 13.
_(1) A person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree if he or she engages in sexual penetration with another person and if any of the following circumstances exists:
(a) That other person is under 13 years of age.
(b) That other person is at least 13 but less than 16 years of age and any of the following:
(i) The actor is a member of the same household as the victim.
(ii) The actor is related to the victim by blood or affinity to the fourth degree.
(iii) The actor is in a position of authority over the victim and used this authority to coerce the victim to submit.
(iv) The actor is a teacher, substitute teacher, or administrator of the public school, nonpublic school, school district, or intermediate school district in which that other person is enrolled.
(v) The actor is an employee or a contractual service provider of the public school, nonpublic school, school district, or intermediate school district in which that other person is enrolled, or is a volunteer who is not a student in any public school or nonpublic school, or is an employee of this state or of a local unit of government of this state or of the United States assigned to provide any service to that public school, nonpublic school, school district, or intermediate school district, and the actor uses his or her employee, contractual, or volunteer status to gain access to, or to establish a relationship with, that other person._
Those criteria for it to be 1st degree (based on age) for 13-15 do not sound like they would fit this situation.
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sara taylor
10/29/09 11:42pmI am soooooooo glad I got of of East Lansing/Lansing while I could. This place is a BAD Omen!!!!!!!! Terrible energy!!!!!!!