Former UCD student found guilty of sexually assaulting Tinder date

Following a 90 minute deliberation, a jury in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court found a former UCD student guilty of sexual assault.

The 36-year-old man denied the assault against the Brazilian native, who made contact with people via Tinder in an effort to improve her language skills.

According to The Independent, he court heard that the woman met the defendant in the city centre in July 2014, who then drove her to a secluded area of the UCD campus.

The victim, who had been in contact with the defendant since June 29, grew worried upon arriving in the isolated area as she was under the impression they were going for a coffee.

The woman claimed that after rejecting a kiss from the defendant, he grew aggressive, punched her and exposed her breast.

“He was looking like a monster. His face wasn’t the same face that smiled to me when I got into his car," she said. "He was calling me bad names and trying to touch me. I tried to take his hands away, and I couldn’t."

The court heard that the woman eventually managed to escape the car where she was met by a dog walker who told authorities she was very distressed.

The defendant contradicted the woman's recollection of events, saying that after she didn't return his kiss, he immediately stopped, but she became hysterical.

However, the jury of six men and six women, who listened to eight days of evidence, ultimately determined that the defendant was guilty of sexual assault.