Ohio alleged sex assault pics go viral

ATHENS, Ohio, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Police in Ohio said a case of possible public sexual assault photographed and distributed online presents more than the average challenges for investigators.

The incident, which took place on a public street in Athens, Ohio, early Saturday during Ohio University homecoming festivities, was photographed and went viral online.

The photographs show a man performing oral sex on an Ohio University student who is leaning on a bank building in full view of the public. Onlookers photographed the incident and they spread quickly on Twitter and Instagram, the Athens News reported Wednesday.

Athens Police Chief Tom Pyle said the woman in the photographs reported the incident as a sexual assault the following day. It was unclear from the photos whether or not the woman had given consent -- or whether she was sober enough to legally give consent -- during the sex act.

Pyle said the man in the photos has also been contacted by police and he's cooperating with the investigation.

Complicating matters is the fact many of the people who posted pictures of the incident were heavily criticized on social media and have not come forward. Most of the original pictures of the incident have since been deleted though they were online long enough that copies were made and they're still widely available.

Pyle said interviewing witnesses would be a major help to investigators in providing more context for the photos.

He said while the photos might look to others like a sexual assault was taking place, those who saw the whole incident "may have seen it in an entirely different manner. ... It may have looked consensual to them. They might [now] feel ashamed, and so it makes them reluctant to get involved further."