Bard College student charged with rape; Police not alerted for 2 months

RED HOOK (WABC) -- A Bard College student is facing charges in an alleged rape.

The Dutchess County Sheriff's Office reported the arrest of 22-year-old Sam Ketchum as the result of an investigation into a reported sexual assault in the Town of Red Hook.

Ketchum and the victim, who will not be identified, are known to each other and are both Bard College students.

The incident is alleged to have occurred at the victim's residence during the early morning hours of February 8.

It was reported to the college shortly after it occurred, but it was not reported to police until April 16, by the victim's attorney.

"That's not optimal for us," Dutchess County Sheriff's Office Captain John Watterson said. "We always want to become aware of things, especially serious things of this nature, as soon as possible to conduct our investigation. In this case, unfortunately, we didn't become aware of it for two months."

The college says that legally, only the victim could reach out to police. A spokesman said the administration promptly initiated an investigation conducted under Title IX regulations, the results of which are still under review.

Title IX is a law that prohibits discrimination at federally-funded educational institutions and an avenue by which to report sexual assaults.

Ketchum, who was accused of having sexual intercourse with the victim without her consent, was arrested and charged a week later.

"I don't think it's the job for the college to report it," student Taylor Cantrell said. "I think it's the student's job, and I'm sure that whatever that victim needed on campus, their needs were met. And I don't think the college is at fault here."

But friends of the victim say the female student in this incident was pressured not to call police.

"She was told that it wouldn't get very far with the police," student Morgan Evans said. "And that was the feeling around the whole situation the whole time."

"It's not at neutral as everyone was talking about," student Jordan Bodwell added. "And there's actually a very clear pressure not to report, at this institution, to the police."

Further details of the incident were not expected be released for privacy and sensitivity reasons.

Ketchum is charged with third-degree rape, which is a felony.

He was arraigned before the Town of Red Hook Court and released on $2,500 cash bail.

Bard is one of the country's top-rated liberal arts colleges.