In a shocking incident that disrupted the joyous occasion, a groom has been taken into custody on suspicion of sexually assaulting one of his wedding guests.
Zachary Prouty, according to a criminal complaint filed on July 16 in Adams County, Pennsylvania, faces charges including two counts of rape, one count of sexual assault, and two counts of indecent assault.
Residing in Kentucky, the 38-year-old Prouty has yet to enter a plea, as per the latest information from court documents.
The allegations surfaced on October 17 when police in Bonneauville Borough responded to Gettysburg Hospital. The alleged victim was there undergoing a forensic examination related to sexual assault.
According to the complaint, the woman informed authorities that she had traveled to Gettysburg to celebrate Prouty’s wedding the previous day. She reported consuming alcohol at a restaurant and later continued drinking at a residence.
After the other guests had gone to bed, the alleged victim stayed downstairs on a couch with Prouty, who allegedly kissed her multiple times without her consent, according to the complaint. The woman told police that she told Prouty to stop, and he briefly complied.
The two later went to the kitchen, where Prouty allegedly kissed her again. After that, she said in the complaint, she lost consciousness and has no memory of what happened.
The woman said she woke up around 7:30 a.m. the next morning in a bedroom, completely undressed, with her clothing lying on the floor soaked with urine. She told police she had no recollection of how she got into the bedroom or of any sexual activity and believed she had been sexually assaulted.
Investigators then took photos and collected evidence at the home, according to the complaint, before contacting Prouty, who was read his Miranda rights. Prouty allegedly declined to provide a statement, telling police that he had retained a lawyer.
DNA samples from Prouty and the alleged victim were sent to a crime laboratory, and a March 16 report concluded that the “male DNA profile was approximately 95 billion times more likely to have originated from Zachery Prouty than from an unknown unrelated individual.”
Court records show that Prouty’s bail was set at $50,000, unsecured. He will next appear in court on Aug. 12 for a preliminary hearing.
Prouty’s attorney did not immediately return a request for comment from Oxygen.