Boone County prosecutors charge man with rape

Prosecutors charged a Columbia man with rape in connection with an alleged assault in May.

According to court documents, Thomas Czerniejewski took the victim, who was intoxicated, to his apartment on Fourth Street and raped her.

Documents said that witnesses told investigators the victim was “so visibly intoxicated that she was having trouble standing.” Czerniejewski reportedly insisted on walking the victim home, but instead took her to his apartment.

Documents said shortly after the alleged assault, the suspect messaged the victim saying they were both intoxicated and apologized “for what happened.” He also messaged her that he wasn’t aware of how drunk she was and that he stopped when she told him to, according to the probable cause statement.

Authorities said that past police reports show that the suspect has been accused of rape in the past, but those accusations were not corroborated.

Online court records show Czerniejewski’s bond was set at $75,000. Records also show one of his bond conditions is to not be on the premises of the University of Missouri.

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