Former KU student sentenced to probation in sexual assault case

A Douglas County judge Friday ordered a former Kansas University student to serve three years on probation in connection with a case in which a woman alleged she was sexually assaulted at a fraternity last year.

Andrew John Hansen, 19, had pleaded guilty in June to aggravated battery and admitted that he had touched the 18-year-old woman in her vaginal area the night of Aug. 21.

Prosecutors initially charged Hansen, who is no longer a KU student, with one count of rape, which carried a more severe punishment. The female KU student, who is now 19, reported to Lawrence police that she was at the Delta Chi fraternity house, 1245 West Campus Road, and fell asleep in a room there.

McGowan said prosecutors had evidence the woman woke up and alleged Hansen, who was an acquaintance, was touching her. Defense attorneys Tricia Tenpenny and Tom Bath have said both Hansen and the woman had consumed alcohol that night. The woman called Lawrence police the next day when she returned to her residence hall, and officers arrested Hansen after they interviewed him.

After his plea, Hansen had agreed to serve time in jail prior to his sentencing, and District Judge Peggy Kittel said Friday he had served 105 days in jail. Hansen also had undergone a sex offender evaluation, but he won’t be required to register as a sex offender.

“You need to understand how your actions impact you and everyone else,” Kittel said.

He’s also barred from consuming alcohol or drugs while on probation. Bath said Hansen hoped to enroll at a college in Missouri and that he would perform 100 hours of community service work.

The girl’s father said she had no malice or ill will toward Hansen and that his family wanted both sides to be able to move on, although it was a struggle.

“This wasn’t just a weekend event. It isn’t something she forgot,” he said. “It’s something that we’re working with as a family on a daily basis.”