Arizona man charged with sexually assaulting woman at Michigan hotel
(CBS DETROIT) - An Arizona man is accused of sexually assaulting a woman at an Auburn Hills hotel in August while he was in town for a work conference.
Joel Delavara, 36, of Yuma, Arizona, was arraigned on first-degree criminal sexual conduct, second-degree criminal sexual conduct and first-degree home invasion. He was given a $100,000 bond with a 10% provision, which he posted.
The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office alleges that on Aug. 14, Delavara made a copy of the victim's hotel room key, entered her room and sexually assaulted her before flying back to Arizona.
"The impact of rape on a victim and our community is immense," said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald in a statement. "This case will be handled by my office's Special Victims Unit, which is dedicated to prosecuting violent sex offenders and getting justice for victims. We will hold perpetrators fully accountable under the law."
If convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, Delavara faces up to life in prison, mandatory lifetime electronic monitoring, mandatory AIDS/STD testing and a DNA sample. A second-degree criminal sexual conduct conviction is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, mandatory lifetime electronic monitoring, mandatory AIDS/STD testing and a DNA sample at arrest.
Delavara has a probable cause conference on Sept. 19 and a preliminary examination on Sept. 26.