A 33-year-old Columbus man is behind bars, accused of sexually assaulting two women near Ohio State University's campus within a span of days, with the second attack happening as police were already searching for him. Brandon Thompson was expected to appear in court on Friday to face a felony charge and a misdemeanor charge stemming from the two separate incidents.
The first case unfolded on August 10 near south campus, when Thompson approached a woman from behind, according to charging documents cited by WSYX. Charging documents state he grabbed the woman's behind and touched her crotch area over her clothing. He was charged with sexual imposition, a misdemeanor under Ohio law.
Investigators later found a car parked at the Tuttle Recreation Center that they believed was connected to the assault, per the station's report. Columbus police tracked the vehicle after it was flagged by a license plate reader near campus, a detail that placed the technology at the center of the case even as officers were still working to identify a suspect.
A Jogger Fights Back Near the Ohio Union
Three days later, on Thursday, a jogger was assaulted while running near North High Street and East 12th Avenue, adjacent to the Ohio Union, according to 10TV, which reported the attack occurred around 7:30 a.m. Police say Thompson is accused of grabbing the jogger's breasts over her clothing and touching her private area over her clothes, per charging documents. The jogger hit Thompson, who fell to the ground, and she was later able to photograph both him and his vehicle as he fled.
She went to the hospital afterward to have an arm and hand injury checked out. Police were already looking for Thompson when Thursday's alleged assault happened, and he was subsequently charged with gross sexual imposition in connection with the jogging attack. Thompson admitted to police that he assaulted the female victim and reportedly said he did not like it when she fought back.
Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2907.05, gross sexual imposition committed through force or threat of force is a fourth-degree felony, carrying six to 18 months in prison and fines up to $5,000 upon conviction. The misdemeanor sexual imposition charge tied to the August 10 case falls under Ohio Revised Code Section 2907.06, a third-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine for a first offense. State law also specifies that a defendant cannot be convicted solely on uncorroborated victim testimony in a sexual imposition case.
Investigation Remains Open
Tim Myers said the case remains ongoing and under investigation, and separately credited the outcome to how police leverage technology to achieve a good public outcome. The Columbus Division of Police Sexual Assault Unit is asking anyone with additional information about either case to call 614-645-4701.
Ohio State senior Nicole Buckner said she learned about the alleged assault through a crime alert app, the kind of real-time notification the university pushes through its Buckeye Alert system and Rave Guardian mobile application, according to prior Hoodline reporting. Ohio State maintains a security office and satellite police presence inside the Ohio Union at 1739 N. High Street, near where Thursday's assault took place.
License Plate Cameras Under Scrutiny
The arrest arrives amid a heated local debate over the very technology that helped crack the case. Franklin County contained 580 automated license plate reader cameras as of August 2026, placing it among the top 20 percent per capita nationally for the surveillance tool, according to WOSU. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther ordered the Columbus Division of Police in July to halt statewide data sharing from its Flock Safety license plate reader system following an internal audit into who could search the system.
Columbus City Council held a six-hour public hearing this month to evaluate police protocols, accountability measures, and privacy safeguards tied to the camera network, WOSU reported. The timing places the Thompson arrest squarely inside an active civic argument over how far such surveillance should extend even as it appears to have helped identify a suspect quickly in this case.
Campus crime data offers some broader context heading into the fall semester. Ohio State's 2025 Clery Act Annual Security Report documented an overall decrease in most reported on-campus crimes during 2024, including a decline in reported fondling incidents and motor vehicle thefts compared to prior years, according to The Lantern. It remains unclear whether additional victims may come forward or whether university and city officials will adjust patrol strategies along the High Street corridor as students return to campus.
