A 43-year-old St. Louis man is facing first-degree sexual abuse and first-degree rape or attempted rape charges after police say he forced a woman he met on a dating app into his car and sexually assaulted her more than two years ago. Moshe-Yosef Kopolow, who lives in the 1500 block of Kennabrooke Court, was charged Friday, September 25, and is now being held on a $500,000 cash-only bond with no 10% option.
According to KMOV, the case dates back to around May 13, 2024, when Kopolow matched with a woman on a dating app and the two agreed to meet in person. Police allege that once they met, Kopolow grabbed the woman's breast, forced her into his car and sexually assaulted her.
Woman Fought Back and Called 911 After Escaping
The outlet reports that the woman repeatedly told Kopolow to stop and tried to fight him off during the encounter. She managed to escape and immediately called 911, setting off the investigation that would eventually lead to this month's charges.
Investigators believe there could be more victims connected to Kopolow, per the same report, though the full scope of the allegations has not been detailed publicly. Detectives from the St. Louis County Police Department's Bureau of Crimes Against Persons are leading the investigation and are encouraging anyone with information, including potential victims, to come forward.
What the Charges Mean Under Missouri Law
Kopolow's first-degree sexual abuse charge falls under Missouri Revised Statutes Section 566.100, which, according to the Missouri Revisor of Statutes, defines the offense in part as subjecting another person to sexual contact when that person is incapacitated. The statutory text provided does not detail how the law applies specifically to Kopolow's case, and no probable-cause statement or court filing laying out the full basis for the charges has been made public.
No defense attorney statement, plea or hearing date has been reported. Anyone with information about the case, or who believes they may have had a similar encounter with Kopolow, is asked to contact detectives with the St. Louis County Police Department's Bureau of Crimes Against Persons at 314-615-5400.
