UNF police: Man sexually assaulted on campus

Men met after talking via social media for several weeks, university police say

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police are looking for a man who sexually assaulted another man Tuesday on the University of North Florida campus, according to campus police.

The University Police Department said two non-UNF students were talking to each other via social media for the last several weeks and agreed to meet on campus during the early morning hours.

After meeting on campus, police said, the two went to a local nightclub. While sitting in the club’s parking lot, the person of interest gave the victim a drink. The victim told police that he immediately started feeling strange. The victim asked the other man to take him to a residence hall on campus, where he remembers being sexually assaulted, police said.

The man who was assaulted told police that $200 cash was also stolen from him.

Campus police said they have identified the person of interest in the incident, who does not live on campus and is not a UNF student. 

Lars Ranneklev, a freshman at UNF, said it's typical for non-students to use the campus as a meeting place.

"There's always new people. It's kind of hard to pick out the strangers from the actual students," he said.

Students said they are on high alert after campus police sent out a warning about the incident Wednesday afternoon. Ranneklev said he'll continue using the buddy system.

"Don't really go anywhere alone and try not to talk with strangers -- typical things your mom will say to you," Ranneklev said.

University police reminded students to use caution when meeting people they only know online. There are also big emergency lights around campus and if students need to, they can press a button and police will come in minutes. For more safety tips, click here

Anyone with information regarding this week's incident should call UPD at 904-620-2800.

Last month, a 45-year-old man was arrested after he was accused of groping a UNF student who responded to his Craigslist ad asking for a babysitter, according to campus police.

A 27-year-old man accused of exposing himself to two female students on UNF's campus and two women off campus was also arrested.