A man accused of various sexual assaults from April and May has been arraigned with a series of criminal charges, the Lansing State Journal reported.
Oswald Scott Wilder, 26, of Vernon, Mich., was arrested Friday and charged Saturday with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, two counts of assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, one count of gross indecency by a sexually delinquent person and being a habitual offender-fourth offense.
His hearing was held in 54-B District Court, where Judge Andrea Larkin ordered he be held without bond. If convicted, Wilder's maximum sentence could be life in prison.
The arrest capped a four-month investigation into three sexual assaults on April 20, 26 and May 16 in the city of East Lansing. All three involved Michigan State University students and occurred in nearby off-campus locations.
Each victim said they were taken to a secluded area and were physically and sexual assaulted by their attacker. In the first attack, on April 20, the victim said she was dragged around midnight to an empty area where she was assaulted.
On April 26, a woman entering her home was grabbed, but a sexual assault was only attempted. On May 16, a woman in a parking lot was dragged behind a large trash bin and was sexually assaulted.
The Journal interviewed women in East Lansing and most of them said they were taking extra precaution day and night by locking their doors and never walking alone.
The East Lansing Police received help from the Michigan State Police, the Michigan State University Police Department, the Meriden Township Police Department, Shiawassee County Sheriff's Office, the Vernon Police Department and Meijer Loss Prevention.
According to Fox 17 East Lansing, Wilder has a past record of criminal charges. In 2005, he was convicted on second-degree felony home invasion, 2008, felony breaking and entering and 2012, second-degree misdemeanor retail fraud.
