Man left sexually explicit messages on female USI students' cars, deputies say

EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) - A Newburgh man is in jail after authorities say he left sexually explicit messages on the cars of female students at the University of Southern Indiana.

Aaron Douglas Otto, 31, is facing three charges of intimidation and harassment.

USI’s patrol unit started an investigation into the notes when they were brought to their attention a couple of weeks ago.

“They had pretty graphic sexual content in it that if you were a female and the note had been left on your vehicle it would make you alarmed and actually scared because it just wasn’t right," Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding said.

The Vanderburgh Co. Sheriff’s Office says the notes were explicit in nature, suggested sexual activity in graphic detail and seemed to refer specifically to each woman.

“The way the notes had been written you would assume that this person had been watching you. And following you possibly. So they were a little bit ill at ease they didn’t know if this person would maybe come back and stalk them further. So yeah it made them very uncomfortable,” Sheriff Wedding said.

University of Southern Indiana student, Colleen Watters said she had never heard of something like this happening on USI’s campus before and was surprised.

“If it was targeted you realize then it’s kind of a little bit more creepy than if it was just random cars,” Watters said.

Deputies say only three notes were reported to them, but it’s possible that more were thrown away and not reported.

The sheriff’s office was able to connect the notes to Otto by testing them for fingerprints.

Sheriff Wedding told us there may be other cases that haven’t been reported. He encouraged anyone who has received a similar note to contact law enforcement.

Copyright 2018 WFIE. All rights reserved.