Lang
11/6/21
A North Liberty sex offender has entered a not guilty plea to charges he sexually assaulted a woman in downtown Iowa City. 33-year-old Fitsum Russell of Penn Court entered the plea Friday in Johnson County District Court.
The alleged victim told Iowa City Police that Russell met her as she came out of a downtown Iowa City bar looking for her friends just after 1:30am on July 25th. He allegedly grabbed her by the hand and took her to a nearby rooftop, where he sexually assaulted her before leaving.
Responding officers found Russell’s ID at the scene, and his DNA was collected from the alleged victim. Russell reportedly told investigators he hadn’t been in the area of the alleged assault for “several years”.
Russell is on the Iowa Sex Offender Registry for previous convictions, including Indecent Exposure in 2010 in Linn County and two Assault With Intent to Commit Sexual Abuse convictions in Johnson County in 2018. One of the Johnson County incidents was reported behind Mayflower Hall in September of 2017. The other was on the 300 block of East College Street one month earlier. In both cases, Russell met the women downtown before taking them elsewhere and attempting to sexually assault them.
Russell is now charged with 3rd Degree Sexual Abuse – 2nd or Subsequent Offense. If convicted, he faces life in prison.
On Friday, Judge Andrew Chappell set a trial date of February 22nd. A case management conference is set for January 14th.