Male-on-male rape and sexual assault is heavily stigmatized. Statistics show that fewer than 1 in 10 male-male rapes are reported.  As a group, male rape victims reported a lack of services and support, and legal systems are often ill-equipped to deal with this type of crime. Rape is demoralizing with leaving the victims feeling embarrassed, degraded, and ashamed. 

Athens-Clarke County police identified a fifth alleged victim of an Athens man who allegedly preyed on University of Georgia students who he reportedly met in downtown bars and invited back to his apartment where he allegedly assaulted them sexually.  Police said they were looking into the possibility that 27-year-old Andre Montez Jones secretly drugged the male students prior to the alleged assaults. 

Since December, four UGA students reported being allegedly assaulted by Jones, three of whom filed police reports.  On Tuesday a fifth person filed a police report, claiming he was 18 when allegedly assaulted at Jones' Willow Street apartment in 2014. The alleged victim was the first non-UGA student to make a claim against Jones. Police believe the possible victim might have attended the University of North Georgia in Watkinsville at the time.

All of the additional alleged victims were apparently emboldened to come forward after reading news reports of the first person making allegations against Jones in December.  Jones was charged in connection with two alleged assaults, and is held at the Clarke County Jail without bail being set.  According to Lt. Jeff Clark, commanding officer of the Athens-Clarke County police Sex Crimes Unit, Jones will likely be charged with additional alleged assaults when the case is presented to a Clarke County grand jury.

Clarke said an investigation is attempting to corroborate claims that as early as 2013, Jones may have been cruising bars in downtown Athens, drinking with students he met and convinced to accompany him to his home.

The investigation began in December, when an 18-year-old UGA student ran bloodied and shirtless from Jones’ apartment, seeking help after he allegedly woke up in Jones’ apartment to find himself being sexually assaulted by his supposed friend, who then allegedly physically beat him.

Clark said the victim claimed he was given a beer by Jones, who already opened the beverage, and the next thing he knew he was naked in Jones’ bed and being orally sodomized.

“By what the victim is telling us, there was possibly some drugging because he was incapacitated,” Clark said.  The victim claimed he was also physically beaten by Jones.  Police said when they met with the student at a downtown intersection, he was not wearing a shirt, had a bloody nose, swollen eye and numerous scratches on his neck, face and elsewhere on his body.  The other alleged victims who subsequently came forward gave police similar stories of being assaulted by Jones. – onlineathens.com

We hope there are no more victims of Andre Montez Jones out there, but if there are, may they find the strength to come forward so they can deal with the trauma and hopefully continue their healing from such a traumatic event.

Follow Criminal Justice reporter Joe Johnson at www.facebook.com/JoeJohnsonABH or www.twitter.com/JoeJohnsonABH.