Suspect In SJSU Sexual Battery May Be Behind Other Attacks

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- San Jose State University police Thursday arrested a man they believe is responsible for at least one of the six sexual battery cases reported by female students over the past several weeks -- including three in the past week, according to university officials.

Officers arrested 19-year-old Huaien "David" Kong, an SJSU student, at about 6 p.m. after he voluntarily came into the campus police station for an interview, according to university spokeswoman Patricia Harris.

He was cited and released that same evening.

Kong was identified by a tipster who recognized him from the security camera image police released to the public during the investigation.

He was arrested on suspicion of committing a sexual battery on a female student at the student union Monday and police believe he may be responsible for at least two more attacks.

In addition to any criminal charges, Kong is subject to the university's student conduct process, which can include an immediate suspension leading to eventual expulsion.

While that process is confidential and university officials won't say specifically what sanctions Kong is facing, Harris said the university "will do everything in our power to ensure that this campus does not experience something similar with this individual again."

The battery Kong is suspected of is one of six that have been reported by students since Oct. 17, according to university officials.

"The cold, hard truth (is that) we have 41,000 people on our campus on any given day and unfortunately crime comes with that," Harris said. "And we need to do better in providing for the safety for all of our people."

Students are being urged to report any instances of sexual battery to campus police, who believe more victims might have been targeted within the past week in the area of Clark Hall or the Dining Commons.

On Thursday, university President Mary Papazian sent out a campus-wide letter about the attacks, which all involved sexual battery, defined by the letter as "touching intimate body parts without consent."

There were 11 such cases reported by students last year and 17 so far this year, according to the letter.

"While there is no indication that we are experiencing a significant year-to-year increase in these crimes, even one case is too many," Papazian wrote.

To strengthen campus security, Papazian notes that the university is in the process of adding 24 additional security cameras, additional external lighting and six additional campus police officers.

"People expect us to be a safe place so people can come here and learn," Harris said. "That is the right expectation. We need to do all we can to live up to it."

© Copyright 2016 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.