University of Iowa student accused of forcing sex act on woman at Super Bowl party

IOWA CITY - A University of Iowa student faces sex abuse charges after allegedly forcing a woman to perform a sex act at a 2021 Super Bowl party.

Alexander T. Economos, 21, of Urbandale, was arrested Tuesday and faces charges of third-degree sex abuse, a Class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and assault with intent to commit sex abuse with bodily injury, a Class D felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

Economos is accused of forcing a woman to perform a sex act Feb. 7 in a bathroom at a Super Bowl party in the 900 block of E. Washington Street in Iowa City.

The woman reported using an upstairs bathroom at the party when she heard someone come in an adjoining bedroom and lock the door. She told police Economos came into the bathroom and grabbed her and kissed her. She pushed him away and said she had a boyfriend.

When the woman tried to flee the bathroom, Economos blocked the door, police reported. He is accused of grabbing the woman’s hair, causing her to struggle and hit her head on the sink. Economos pulled the woman toward the toilet, sat down and forced her to perform a sex act, police said.

“In an attempt to stop Economos, (the woman) reported biting his penis, which made him angry, causing him to release (her) from his grasp and allowing her to flee the bathroom,“ police reported.

The woman ran to her roommates, who confronted Economos, police said. One friend recorded the interaction on her cellphone and later gave the audio recording to investigators. On the recording, Economos told people at the party the sex act was consensual, police reported.

Police got a search warrant to get a DNA swab from Economos to compare with a sample taken when the woman went to a hospital after the alleged abuse, court records state.

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