Seminole State College admits to violating protocol in groping case

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Seminole State College officials admitted their security officers violated protocol by not telling the sheriff's office about an attack on campus until days after it happened.

Investigators said they are looking for a man who a student claims groped her while she was walking in a building on campus on April 24.

The victim notified the school's security officer the next day, but the sheriff's office wasn't told until five days after the alleged incident.

"That surprises me, because they're usually pretty good about that. Maybe it slipped his mind. I'm not sure," said Jessica Richardson, who works on the campus.

The school sent out a statement saying, "The safety of Seminole State College students and employees is always of the utmost concern. Since the incident, Seminole State has been working closely with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office to maintain a visible presence on campus."

Authorities said a 19-year-old student was walking from her class when a man she did not know approached her and asked her to take a walk. He then grabbed her arm and pulled her into a stairwell and pinned her up against a wall and groped her, officials said.

"I'm surprised and uncomfortable and it's shocking, very shocking," said Cherish Pierre, who is in the process of enrolling in classes at the college.

Investigators said the woman told him to stop and he did. She told investigators that she doesn't want to press charges, but college officials have asked her to help identify the man.

The man is described as white, approximately 5'11'' tall with a scruffy facial appearance.

He was last seen wearing a gray shirt and skinny jeans.

WFTV