Michigan man charged with sexually assaulting woman at Loop hotel

A Michigan man has been charged with sexually assaulting a woman at a hotel in the Loop while he was in town to celebrate a friend’s birthday.

Tyler Wilkin, 23, of Holton, Michigan, faces a felony count of criminal sexual assault, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

On Friday, Wilkin was part of a group that came to the city and booked a room at Hampton Inn, 22 W. Monroe, to celebrate a birthday, prosecutors said.

The group of five went out drinking Saturday night and Wilkin and others bought the woman drinks and she became intoxicated, prosecutors said.

When the group returned to their shared hotel room about 4:30 a.m. Sunday, the woman went to sleep fully clothed on one of the beds, prosecutors said. At some point during the night, she awoke to find she was no longer wearing her underwear and was being sexually assaulted by Wilkin.

Prosecutors said the woman had previously made it clear to Wilkin she was not interested in a sexual relationship with him.

The woman yelled, alerting the others in the room, prosecutors said. One person stayed with the woman to console her, while the others took Wilkin from the room and confronted him.

Wilkin initially denied sexually assaulting the woman to his friends, but he later admitted to the assault and to knowing she was intoxicated and sleeping. A condom was recovered, prosecutors said. Wilkin also made admissions while in police custody.

His bail was set at $100,000 at a court appearance Monday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse. He was scheduled back in court April 23.