Former Villanova Student Pleads Guilty to Dorm Room Sexual Assault
Elijah Katzenell assaulted a woman on campus in 2022.
Villanova University, site of a 2022 sexual assault that former Villanova student Elijah Katzenell pleaded guilty to Monday. (photo by Victor Fiorillo)
A couple of weeks ago, we told you that a woman had filed a lawsuit against three men, alleging that she was the victim of a sexual assault inside a dorm room at Villanova University in 2022. The woman and the three men were all students at Villanova University at the time. And now one of those three men — Elijah Katzenell, 22 — has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting her. Katzenell was scheduled for trial at 9 a.m. on Monday in the Delaware County Courthouse. Instead, he has pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault, a felony.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed in the case by the Delaware County District Attorney’s Office, Katzenell sexually assaulted the woman, identified only as “C.A.,” in his dorm room while she appeared to be unconscious. The affidavit of probable cause alleges that Katzenell’s roommate admitted to “assisting” Katzenell during the sexual assault and that the other male student in the room recorded video of part of the assault, a video that investigators have seen. The roommate and other male student weren’t charged with any crimes.
Katzenell’s guilty plea was part of a negotiated plea deal, explains his attorney, Arthur Donato. As part of the plea deal, confirms the DA’s office, Katzenell will receive seven years of probation, with the first year served on house arrest at his home in Maryland. He will be allowed to leave home for work. He must also register as a Tier III sex offender — that’s the most serious level — under Megan’s Law and maintain that registration for the rest of his life.
Katzenell and his roommate no longer attend Villanova University. The other male student’s LinkedIn page lists him as a current Villanova student, and the university did not provide Philly Mag with his enrollment status when we requested it.
As Katzenell begins his sentence, the woman’s civil lawsuit is proceeding in Philadelphia’s federal court. She’s seeking damages from Katzenell and the other two male students. For more on the lawsuit, which also names as defendants Villanova University and various business entities connected to an off-campus student apartment building, read here.
