NJ High School Student Charged With Raping Manhattan College Freshman

An 18-year-old New Jersey High School student was charged with two counts of rape, sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct yesterday, on allegations that he assaulted a 19-year-old woman. The victim is reportedly a freshman at Manhattan College in the Bronx.

Kevin Convery of Wyckoff—a soccer player at Bergen Catholic High School—appeared at the Bronx Special Victims Unit yesterday for questioning, accompanied by his lawyer, CBS2 reports. He was arrested and charged soon after.

ABC reports that Convery met his victim on the evening of April 25th, at an All American Rejects concert at Manhattan College. The victim allegedly invited Convery back to her dorm room, where the pair engaged in consensual kissing. However, CBS2 reports:

When it turned sexual, the woman said she did not want to engage in sexual relations, sources said. A criminal complaint alleged that the woman repeatedly told Convery, “I do not want to have sex,” but alleged he initiated intercourse with her anyway. At that point, the victim allegedly told Convery, “I told you no,” and pushed him away.

Manhattan College issued a statement to the press in the wake of yesterday's arrest. "The incident was reported to the College the day it occurred. The college provided immediate assistance to the student who made the report and provided assistance to the student's family," a spokesman said. "Our immediate concern in such instances is the health and safety of the student and we continue to cooperate fully with the New York Police Department."

Convery is due in court on June 23rd. The NYPD has not released the name of the victim.

This arrest comes at a time of heightened scrutiny surrounding how universities respond to allegations of rape. Last month, Columbia student group No Red Tape projected "Rape Happens Here" and "Columbia Has A Rape Problem" across the front of the Columbia library, during prospective student visits. Soon after, Paul Nungesser, who was cleared of charges for allegedly raping fellow student Emma Sulkowicz, sued Columbia for branding him a "serial rapist."