New evidence has linked an unsolved sexual assault from May 2018 to a man already arrested on multiple charges from window peeping incidents.
James Morsbach, age 38, was arrested in May after Fort Collins Police Services identified him as a suspect in numerous reports of a peeping Tom in the Sherwood Street area, north of Colorado State University.
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“Window peeping is a crime that often goes unreported because people think it’s harmless,” FCPS Chief Jeff Swoboda said in the initial press release published June 19. “However, these behaviors can, and often do, escalate to more serious crimes. We want neighbors to report all suspicious activity to police so we can keep our community safe.”
Since his arrest, officers have linked Morsbach to other reported crimes, according to the report. He remains in the Larimer County Jail at this time.
Now, police have additional evidence connecting Morsbach to a sexual assault which also occurred on Sherwood Street, according to the latest press release published Aug. 8.
According to the press release, the victim told police she woke up to find a man she didn’t know sexually assaulting her. Police responded to a residence May 5, 2018, at approximately 4 a.m.
Evidence was collected at the time, but a suspect was not identified, according to police.
With this new evidence, police have now filed two additional charges against Morsbach:
- Sexual assault (class 3 felony)
- Second degree burglary (class 3 felony)
The total list of charges against Morsbach is as follows:
- Invasion of privacy for sexual gratification – three counts (class 6 felony)
- Attempted invasion of privacy for sexual gratification – two counts (class 2 misdemeanor)
- Retaliation against a witness or victim (class 3 felony)
- Attempted burglary (class 4 felony)
- Stalking (class 5 felony)
- Criminal mischief (class 6 felony)
- Second degree criminal trespassing – six counts (class 3 misdemeanor)
- Resisting arrest – two counts (class 2 misdemeanor)
- Sexual assault (class 3 felony)
- Second degree burglary (class 3 felony)
“Sexual assault is a widely under-reported crime,” said Corporal Tessa Jakobsson, who supervises in the Crimes Against Persons Unit, in the recent report. “Our officers, detectives and victim advocates are sensitive to the impact of this trauma and strongly encourage victims to come forward so we can connect them with recovery resources and hold perpetrators accountable.”
Police are concerned Morsbach may have victimized more people. Anyone who may have been victimized by Morsbach and has not already spoken to police is encouraged to contact Detective Brandon Barnes at 970-416-2051.
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Samantha Ye can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @samxye4.
