A man has been charged with aggravated statutory rape after an incident on the campus of Tennessee State University.
The victim, a TSU student, told police the incident happened on September 21 between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.
According to the victim, she met the suspect, identified as Darius Booth, on Twitter. She called him that night because she was upset and wanted to talk.
Reports stated Booth, a former TSU student, went to campus and picked her up in front of Rudolph Hall around 1:25 a.m.
The victim said they rode around in his black Dodge Charger looking for a parking space, and that’s when he drove to the top of Hale overflow parking lot.
According to the victim she was exhausted and started to fall asleep in the passenger seat.
She said she woke up to him groping her legs and back. She told police she questioned Booth, asking him what he was doing. He allegedly told her, “Everything will be okay.”
She said she dozed back to sleep, and that’s when Booth reportedly attempted to pull her pants down. When she asked him to stop, he allegedly got on top of her in the passenger seat and raped her.
The victim said she repeatedly asked him to stop while crying, and Booth eventually got back into the driver’s seat.
Police said the victim reported she got out of the vehicle “crying hysterically” and called another friend who picked her up around 4 a.m.
The victim was reportedly 17 years old at the time of the alleged rape. Booth had said he was 23; however, police said it was determined he was 29.
Booth has been charged with aggravated statutory rape. Further details were not immediately available.
