She’s a student at Regis University, and late last year she saw a film on victims of sexual assault.
So she decided it was time to tell police about the math tutor who she alleges sexually assaulted her in late 1995, according to testimony Tuesday in a Denver courtroom.
She told police that as a 12- year-old, she received help from Alexander Naroditsky once a week for about two months. She got his name from a list of recommended tutors at her school.
During that time, she alleged, he first hugged her, then fondled her breasts. On the final visit, she said, he raped her, although she didn’t quite understand what that was because she was sexually naive, said the woman, now 22.
Last fall, after viewing the film, she called the now-75- year-old tutor at the request of police. In the call, lasting about 40 minutes, she repeatedly accused him of sexually assaulting her, which he adamantly denied.
Naroditsky told her she was lying, according to testimony during Naroditsky’s preliminary hearing Tuesday.
Naroditsky’s defense lawyer, Gary Lozow, portrayed the entire story as incredible. He said that 10 years ago, Naroditsky was impotent and could not have committed the crimes.
Detective Larry Moore testified that during the secretly taped phone conversation, Naroditsky said “he couldn’t have done it because he was sick.”
But Moore said that at one point, Naroditsky apologized but immediately retracted the apology.
Moore said the student could not recall how long the rape lasted because she has blocked it out. But he said she had a clear recollection of the fondling episodes, when the tutor allegedly put his hand up her blouse.
Denver County Judge Doris Burd said there was sufficient evidence to order Naroditsky to stand trial on six counts.
Burd said the evidence showed a pattern of escalation on the tutor’s part. Naroditsky is accused of multiple counts of sexual assault on a child and sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-820-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
