New details in William Paterson gang rape allegations: Men blocked door during violent attack

William Paterson University students charged with sexual assault

The Overlook South residence hall at William Paterson University, where police say five students sexually assaulted a woman. (Myles Ma | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

PATERSON — A Superior Court judge ruled that four men accused of raping a fellow student at a William Paterson University residence hall last week are not flight risks and should have their bail significantly lowered.

Passaic County Superior Court Judge Marilyn C. Clark lowered bail for freshman students Noah Williams, Darius Singleton, Garrett Collick and Jahmel Latimer from $200,000 to $50,000 at a court hearing Tuesday morning.

"I do not believe any of the defendants are flight risks," Clark said, noting the men are all 18 and live with their families.

None of the four have criminal records, she said.

The fifth defendant, Termaine Scott, of Vineland, is expected to make his first court appearance this afternoon.

The defendants were arrested Saturday after a female university student told school officials that she was raped in a dorm room in Overlook South by five men last week, on Tuesday night.

Prosecutors did not disclose any further details as to how the alleged gang rape occurred.

Criminal complaints filed against the men offer a cloudy account of what allegedly took place. According to the complaints, the men used physical force or coercion to keep the victim in the room during the assault, turning the lights off and blocking the exit.

One of the defendants, Garrett Collick, of Paterson, told the victim that if she wanted to have sex with him, she would have to "have sex with all of them," the complaint said. At some point during the alleged assault, Jahmel Latimer entered the room, asked what was happening, and then proceeded to rape the victim, the complaints said.

Three of the men are charged with kidnapping and four are charged with conspiracy to commit sexual assault. All five are charged with either aggravated sexual assault or attempted aggravated sexual assault.

As a condition of their lowered bail, the defendants are barred from contacting the victim or entering campus.

Assistant Prosecutor Lisa Squiterri did not object to the bail reduction, telling the court that the prosecutor's office just received the case yesterday and it "would be a while" before the case was presented to a grand jury.