Crime

Man who was Fresno State mascot TimeOut faces groping charges

Deandre Jean-Pierre, who once played the role of Fresno State mascot TimeOut, will face misdemeanor groping charges involving five victims.
Deandre Jean-Pierre, who once played the role of Fresno State mascot TimeOut, will face misdemeanor groping charges involving five victims. Fresno Bee file

Deandre Jean-Pierre, who once played the role of Fresno State mascot TimeOut, will face misdemeanor groping charges involving five victims, the District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday.

Jean-Pierre, 23, faces five counts of alleged sexual battery. If convicted, he faces time in jail and could be required to register as a sex offender.

The suspected incidents happened last over a three-month period near the Fresno State campus.

Jean-Pierre, whom prosecutors identify as a Fresno State student, was arrested Dec. 2 at his apartment near the campus after police said one of the victims identified him. Since then, police have contacted other victims that were allegedly assaulted by him.

After his arrest in December, Jean-Pierre posted bail and was released from the Fresno County Jail. He is scheduled for arraignment in Fresno County Superior Court on Feb. 28.

Fresno State has said that Jean-Pierre is studying communications and theater arts, and was one of four students who performed the role of TimeOut. He came to Fresno State after graduating from Fresno High in 2011, the university said.

Pablo Lopez: 559-441-6434, @beecourts

This story was originally published February 1, 2017 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Man who was Fresno State mascot TimeOut faces groping charges."

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