Defendant in University of Iowa 'FIJI' case arrested on charges he shared images of sex act
One of the two men being accused of sexual assault at a fraternity party in 2020 was arrested Wednesday on charges of first-degree harassment for allegedly sharing images of a sexual act without consent.
Twenty-year-old Carson Steffen is one of two men — plus the University of Iowa chapter of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and its parent organization — named as defendants in a lawsuit filed by Makéna Solberg, the alleged victim of the sexual assault, this October. The lawsuit alleges she was assaulted at a party at the fraternity known as "FIJI" in September 2020 while she was unconscious and that images of the attack became "widely circulated" afterward among fraternity members.
Police conducted search warrants related to the case in September 2020, but this week marks the first time charges have been filed. The "incident date" range for the first-degree harassment charge, an aggravated misdemeanor, is listed as Sept. 5, 2020, matching the timeline of the party where the assault allegedly occurred.
The Iowa City Police Department's criminal complaint filed this week alleges that on Sept. 5, 2020, around 3:30 a.m., Steffen shared a photo with multiple people on Snapchat of "the victim engaged in a sex act with another male" without the victim's consent.
More: Defendant in FIJI lawsuit at University of Iowa denies sexual assault claim, says he's being defamed
Deborah Farmer Minot, associate judge for the Sixth Judicial District of Iowa, approved the request for a warrant on probable cause that Steffen committed the first-degree harassment. She also issued a "no-contact" order against Steffen, prohibiting him from making contact with Solberg.
This week also marks the first time lawyers for Steffen filed an answer to Solberg's lawsuit. In paperwork filed Monday, Steffen admits having sexual activity with Solberg the night of the party but argues it was consensual.
The lawsuit against him says Solberg was unable to give consent.
Steffen is also listing out counter-claims against Solberg, including the assertion that he has been defamed. He is asking for compensatory and punitive damages for "injury to his reputation, loss of future earning capacity ... and mental suffering."
Lee Hermiston, public information officer for the Iowa City Police Department, said in an emailed statement to the Press-Citizen that "the timing of an investigation is not driven by public opinion or outside pressures, but our responsibility to uncover the facts of the case, support the needs of the victim and address public safety concern."
"Each investigation is different, but thorough investigations take time and cannot be rushed just to satisfy the demands of those not involved," the statement continued.
First time charges filed after more than a year of investigation in FIJI incident
Earlier this fall — around the one year mark of the date of the alleged assault without any police charges filed — more than 1,000 people protested in demand that action be taken.
A day after the protests, the Johnson County attorney's office and Iowa City police asked the public for help in obtaining more information about the case.
"The department has previously and will continue to work closely with the Johnson County Attorney's Office on this case," the statement read. "We have and will continue to take allegations of sexual assault seriously and will investigate them to the fullest extent."
Court documents show that Solberg contacted police on Sept. 10, 2020, alleging she woke up on Sept. 6, the night after a party at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity house, with no memory of the night before but with bruising on her arms and legs. She also told police that, according to friends, there was a video circulating among members of the fraternity of two men having sex with her.
Previously: Iowa Fiji fraternity, former members sued over alleged 2020 sexual assault
The police carried out a search warrant in response. Documents show they obtained DNA of Steffen and another man plus their phones and the fraternity's video surveillance.
Police also interviewed several of Solberg's friends and friends of the men. Solberg's clothing was sent to a criminalistics laboratory for analysis.
A detective located a photo on one of the accused students’ phones, which he said “corroborates a photo described” by one of the people interviewed by officers, according to court records. The officer said it looked as if the photo was taken in a bedroom.
Cleo Krejci covers education for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. You can reach her at ckrejci@press-citizen.com or on Twitter via @_CleoKrejci.
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Man accused of sex assault in University of Iowa FIJI case arrested
