Arizona man charged with sexual assault in Auburn Hills hotel

An Arizona man accused of sexually assaulting a woman during a labor conference in Michigan last month has been charged, officials announced Monday.

Joel Delavara, 56, of Yuma, Arizona, was arraigned Thursday in 52-3 District Court in Rochester Hills on three counts, court records show. He is accused of first-degree sexual abuse, second-degree sexual abuse and first-degree residential burglary, the Oakland County District Attorney’s Office said.

A judge set his bail at $100,000 and scheduled Delavara’s next court hearing for Sept. 19. He also ordered that if Delavara posts bail, he must have no contact with the victim, must not possess any dangerous weapons and must wear a GPS bracelet, court records say.

According to prosecutors and court records, Delavara posted bail on Thursday.

A representing attorney could not be immediately reached.

If convicted, Delavara faces up to life in prison for first-degree sexual abuse, up to 15 years for second-degree sexual abuse and up to 20 years for burglary. The sexual abuse charges also require mandatory AIDS/STD testing and the collection of a DNA sample upon arrest.

Prosecutors said the charges against Delavara stem from an alleged sexual assault that occurred Aug. 14 in Auburn Hills.

According to preliminary investigations, the victim was a guest at a hotel in the city. Authorities allege the defendant had a duplicate key to her hotel room, used it to get into the hotel, then sexually assaulted her and then abruptly returned to Arizona.

According to officials, the victim reported the attack to the police.

“The impact of rape on a victim and our community is tremendous,” Oakland County District Attorney Karen McDonald said in a statement. “This case is being handled by my office’s Special Victims Unit, which is dedicated to prosecuting violent sex offenders and obtaining justice for victims. We will hold perpetrators accountable under the law.”

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@CharlesERamirez