NJ Teen Charged With Kidnapping, Sex Assault Near Rutgers Campus

NEW BRUNSWICK — An 18-year-old man has been arrested a month after a woman reported being raped while attending a party near the Rutgers University campus.

On Feb. 19, a woman who is affiliated with Rutgers reported being sexually assaulted after midnight while at a residence on Easton Avenue, according to Rutgers University police.

The attacker was a stranger, officers said.

Luke Moorehouse, who is not a student or employee of Rutgers, was arrested following an investigation by New Brunswick police and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

Moorehouse, of East Brunswick, has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, second-degree sexual assault, and fourth-degree criminal sexual contact.

Anyone with additional information or who may have been in the area at the time of the Feb. 19 incident has been urged to contact the New Brunswick Police Detective Bureau at 732-745-5217 or the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Special Victims Unit 732-745-4312.

The Rutgers University Police Department provides security escorts to students, faculty and staff on campus, by contacting the police communications center at 732-932-7211.

University police also have re-shared general tips for “reasonable safety precautions,” including:

🔴 Stay alert and attuned to people and circumstances around you
🔴 Report suspicious activity or persons to the police immediately
🔴 Avoid isolated or dark areas
🔴 Walk in groups when traveling during late-night hours