COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 27-year-old Columbus man is in custody after he is accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman he met on a dating app, court records state.
Franklin County Municipal Court records say that a woman told police that she met Shawn Bowles on a dating app called SKOUT on Jan. 27. She said that after messaging each other, she agreed to let Bowles pick her up from her home.
The two drove to Bowles' home where he reportedly grabbed the woman's throat and forced her to engage in sexual activity, records say. The woman told Bowles she did not want to, but he allegedly rolled up a shirt and put it behind her head to force her to perform the act.
There were reportedly multiple instances in which Bowles caused the woman to become unconscious, according to court records.
The woman called police on Jan. 28 to report the sexual assault and was taken to OhioHealth Doctors Hospital for treatment and evaluation.
Police were able to identify Bowles as a suspect through information provided by the woman, law enforcement databases and through a photo lineup, the records say.
He is being charged with kidnapping, rape and strangulation.
Bowles is being held in the Franklin County Jail on a $750,000 bond.