{
  "id": "2024-07-15-penn-state-sexual-assault",
  "slug": "penn-state-sexual-assault-2024-07-15",
  "institution": {
    "name": "Pennsylvania State University",
    "shortName": "Penn State",
    "state": "PA",
    "type": "public-r1",
    "alertSystemName": "PSU Alert",
    "enrollment": 88000
  },
  "incident": {
    "date": "2024-07-15",
    "type": "sexual-assault",
    "cleryCategory": "timely-warning",
    "headline": "Reported sexual assault by an intruder in a residence hall room; warning issued",
    "headlinePublic": "Reported sexual assault by an intruder in a residence hall room; warning issued",
    "summary": "A [Penn State](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania_State_University) student reported that an unknown person entered their residence hall room in the [East Halls](https://www.psu.edu/news/university-park/story/police-investigate-reports-sexual-assault-indecent-assault-0) complex uninvited and sexually assaulted them between 3:00 AM EDT and 7:00 AM EDT on Monday, July 15, 2024. University Police received the report at 6:45 PM EDT that evening and issued a Clery Act timely warning. No suspect description was available.",
    "outcome": "Under investigation by Penn State University Police. No suspect identified publicly.",
    "resolution": "under-investigation"
  },
  "alerts": [
    {
      "sequence": 1,
      "type": "initial",
      "timestampApprox": "Evening of July 15, 2024, after the report was received at 6:45 PM EDT",
      "channel": "email",
      "verbatimText": "Burglary, Sex Offense - Unknown has occurred at University Park\n\nUniversity Police received a report of burglary and sexual assault at 6:45 pm on July 15, 2024. The victim, a student, reported an unknown perpetrator entered their residence hall room uninvited and assaulted them.\n\nThe reported incident occurred on July 15, 2024, between 3:00 am and 7:00 am, in an on-campus residence hall. The incident reportedly occurred in an east halls housing complex.\n\nPolice are investigating.\n\nSexual Assault is a second degree felony in the state of PA, with sentencing that can include up to 10 years in prison, fines, and psychiatric treatment.",
      "isVerbatimConfirmed": true,
      "sourceUrl": "https://timelywarnings.psu.edu/university-park/24up02319",
      "sourceDescription": "Penn State Timely Warnings official archive (timelywarnings.psu.edu)",
      "annotations": [
        "The alert classifies the offense as both burglary and sex offense, reflecting the uninvited entry into a locked room as a separate Clery-reportable crime",
        "No suspect description was provided because the perpetrator's identity was unknown to the victim, making this a rare sexual assault timely warning with zero identifying information about the suspect",
        "The gap between the reported assault window (3:00-7:00 AM EDT) and the report to University Police (6:45 PM EDT) reflects a common pattern where survivors need time before reporting"
      ],
      "characterCount": 639
    }
  ],
  "context": "This timely warning was the second sexual assault alert at Penn State's University Park campus in the summer of 2024, following a [July 8 report](https://wjactv.com/news/local/psu-police-investigating-second-reported-sexual-assault-at-east-halls-dormitory) involving a known person in a southern campus residence. Penn State's timely warning system has been scrutinized by the student newspaper, the [Daily Collegian](https://www.psucollegian.com/news/campus/something-clearly-isn-t-working-penn-state-timely-warning-data-shows-increase-in-reported-sexual/article_73c885a2-2c9a-11ec-bb6e-67f0ba12825c.html), which reported increasing numbers of sexual violence timely warnings in recent years. The East Halls complex is one of the oldest residence hall areas on Penn State's campus and primarily houses first-year students. The dual classification as burglary and sex offense is notable because it reflects the Clery Act's requirement to report all applicable offenses, and the uninvited entry into the room independently qualifies as a reportable crime.",
  "keyFindings": [
    "Sexual assault timely warnings with unknown perpetrators provide essentially no actionable suspect information, functioning more as community safety reminders than tactical alerts",
    "The dual Clery classification of burglary and sex offense illustrates how a single incident can trigger multiple reporting obligations under the Act",
    "The delay between assault and report is typical for sexual violence cases, where survivors often need hours or days before coming forward"
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Student Reports Burglary, Sexual Assault at Penn State Residence Hall",
      "url": "https://www.statecollege.com/articles/local-news/police-crime/student-reports-burglary-sexual-assault-at-penn-state-residence-hall/",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Penn State Police investigating reported sexual assault at East Halls dormitory",
      "url": "https://wjactv.com/news/local/penn-state-police-investigating-reported-sexual-assault-at-east-halls-dormitory",
      "type": "local-media"
    },
    {
      "title": "Penn State Timely Warnings Archive",
      "url": "https://timelywarnings.psu.edu/university-park/24up02319",
      "type": "official-archive"
    }
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "tags": [
    "sexual-assault",
    "timely-warning",
    "residence-hall",
    "burglary",
    "unknown-perpetrator",
    "pennsylvania",
    "big-ten"
  ],
  "dateAdded": "2026-04-04",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-04-04",
  "addedBy": "ingestion"
}