Hate crime charges dropped against 12 college students arrested in Maryland assault

Prosecutors have dropped hate crime charges against 12 of 15 Salisbury University students arrested after an attack in which investigators say a man was lured to an off-campus apartment, beaten and called a homophobic slur.

SALISBURY, Md. — Prosecutors dropped hate crime charges against 12 of the 15 Salisbury University students arrested following an attack in October in which investigators say a man was lured to an off-campus apartment, beaten and called homophobic slurs.

The Wicomico County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement to the Washington Post that it “reviewed the evidence gathered during the course of the investigation and, in light of that evidence, we have filed charges if appropriate .” The newspaper reported last week that the charges had been dropped.

Police initially said the defendants were charged with hate crimes for allegedly attacking the victim because he is gay. According to charging documents, one of the defendants created a fake account on a dating app and promised the victim sex with a 16-year-old.

The man’s age is not listed in court documents. The legal age of consent in Maryland is 16 in most cases.

Salisbury Police started investigating after two witnesses told campus police they saw video of the attack, according to charging documents. According to police, the victim suffered a broken rib and extensive bruising.