Dance troupe worker charged with rape

Chapel Hill, N.C. — A stagehand for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has been charged in connection with a sexual assault alleged to have occurred at the Carolina Inn early Sunday, police said Tuesday.

David James Kerr, 39, an electrician who travels with the acclaimed dance company, was charged with second-degree rape. He was being held Tuesday in the Orange County Jail under a $70,000 secured bond.

A woman told police that she had gotten into an argument with her friend and left her room, and she then met Kerr, who said she could stay in his room, according to a search warrant. She said she was assaulted when she went back to his room.

The alleged assault was reported at about 3 a.m. Sunday, police said.

The dance company performed Saturday night at Memorial Hall on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus.

Kerr told police he had consensual sex with a woman at the hotel and then dropped her purse off at the front desk after she left it in his room, according to the search warrant.

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Female point of view ... something smells VERY fishy here! A woman goes to stay in a strange man's hotel room. He rapes her. He politely leaves her purse at the hotel front desk. Either the media has reported this story shamefully incorrect (wouldn't be the first time) or something is quite suspicious about change of events.

SIDEKICK - You are ABSOLUTELY right. Anybody who cries rape and is proven to be a liar should have their picture posted. Just like posting a rapists picture alerts people who to stay away from. Posting a false accusers picture would also help people know who to stay away from.

chance
April 14, 2010 11:51 a.m.

Random thought: women who cry rape when rape is not actually what took place makes me almost as furious as when a rape really DID happen. They are making it SOOO much harder for legitimate cases to be taken seriously, and should be punished almost as severely as a person who DID commit rape.

That said, I don't feel convicted rapists are punished severely enough.

blondchk4
April 14, 2010 11:19 a.m.

Winthro, Too bad that you didn't get the point that I was making. I personaly don't feel the man is guilty, what I was saying is that when a man touches a woman in a inappropriate way, the law believes her and considers the man guilty.

When a woman touches a man in a inappropriate way and the man complains, no one believes him so, "she gets away with it". Now do you get it?

airbornemonty
April 14, 2010 11:09 a.m.

james27613 - Where in the story does it say that she is a dancer? How do you know that it was a rape? What evidence is there that she left her purse in the room as evidence (and then he took it to the front desk). There is nothing factual in your comment. You ASSUMED that she was a dancer because he works for the dance troupe (which would negate the leaving of her purse in his room for evidence). You ASSUMED that it was a rape rather than consenual sex (which wouldn't fit with your last comment because a 'rapist' doesn't take the evidence and turn it over to the front desk). And, you ASSUMED that she left the purse there on purpose. Unbelievable.

seankelly15
April 14, 2010 10:59 a.m.

This has happened from the dawn of time. He returned a purse- if you rape someone I don't think you would be returning it. I am sick of hearing these stories. A few years ago a lady planned a trip with a guy and they ended up in the smokies- she claimed he kidnapped her and raped her. they found she planned it as a sexual escape- this guy was ruined. From now on- have a consent for before you have sex with someone- this is getting out of hand. I am a female who has ben raped and let me tell you- the way they say it happened- makes me mad as h-e- double hocky sticks - if she was not raped she needs to fess up - teach your daughters not to cry rape when things don't go their way or they realize their mistake afterwards. She should have gone to the office not go to another person she may/ may not have known. Get some brain power going here.

thought
April 14, 2010 10:50 a.m.