A 20-year-old woman studying at Ohio University claimed she was raped during on a sidewalk during the school's homecoming celebration, WBNS reports.
The student claimed the alleged assault was photographed, recorded and posted on social media sites such as Twitter and Instagram.
The alleged victim contacted Athens police on Sunday, claiming the assault happened sometime Saturday morning between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m.
According to WBNS, authorities have questioned both the female victim and the man she is accusing of sexual assault.
"You could view that picture and certainly suggest that a sexual assault took place," Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle told WBNS. "You could also suggest other things."
According to AthensOhioToday.com, the photos and a video depicted a man allegedly giving a woman unwanted "oral sex" as she was sat against a windowsill.
"We're looking at every aspect and everything that could possibly be a factor," Cpt. Ralph Harvey told AthensOhioToday.com. "Whether (alcohol) was a factor or not may or may not have a bearing on the investigation, so it's not something we would focus on, especially initially."
Harvey did acknowledge the photos, video, and "third-hand" reports cannot be taken into consideration until all witnesses to the alleged crime have been interviewed.
"Any videos have to viewed with a grain of salt, even if they are the actual videos, because while it's generally believed the video doesn't lie, it's one perspective on something," he said.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Crime Solvers Anonymous at 740-594-3331 or the Athens Police Department at 740-592-3313.
Ohio University student Allie Erwin told WBNS she see no "gray area" in the photos or the video.
"Our first instinct as a community was not to intervene and help this woman, but to post it on social media, and make a mockery of probably the most traumatic experience of her life," Erwin said.
Buzzfeed published social media posts of the alleged assault. Warning: the following link contains graphic images. Click here to view the posts.
