Wrestling and playing around turned criminal last week when a Maryland School for the Deaf student was sexually assaulted with a Mountain Dew bottle and a hand sanitizer bottle, according to charging documents. Tyler Daniel Dilks, 20, of Whiteford, is one of four male students charged in the Oct. 27 alleged assault. The other three are 17-year-old juveniles whose names have not been released because of their ages. Two are from Baltimore, and one is from Frederick .
They all lived in the Foxwell Moylan Hall dormitory at the school.
The alleged victim, whose name was redacted in court documents, told police the other students held him down on a bed while they assaulted him with the two bottles, the documents state. Sanitizer was sprayed during the assault, causing pain, the alleged victim said.
According to charging documents written by Detective Thomas Tokarz of the Frederick Police Department, Dilks told authorities through an interpreter that "many students were laughing and playing around" before the alleged assault. He admitted to holding the student down and pulling down his pants, but said two other students told him what to do.
One of the teens assaulted the student with the hand sanitizer bottle, according to the documents, and Dilks admitted to inserting the Mountain Dew bottle.
Another student, whose name was redacted, told officers that several boys tried to pull down his pants. He said he hurt his ankle while fighting them off and running away.
The investigation of this alleged assault is continuing, Lt. Shawn Martyak said. It involved some of the same students.
Dilks was a member of the school's 2008-2009 wrestling team, competing in the 285-pound weight category.
School Superintendent James E. Tucker could not be reached for comment Thursday. No lawyer was listed as representing Dilks in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search.
Dilks and the three juveniles have each been charged with fourth-degree sex offense, second-degree assault and conspiracy. The juveniles have been referred to the Department of Juvenile Services. Dilks has a court date set for Jan. 12.
Lawsuit
Dilks is one of 11 students named in a lawsuit filed by Frederick resident Troy Towers, an employee of the school.
The lawsuit, filed in March 2008, claims the students and parents falsely alleged to the Frederick Police Department in 2007 that Towers had sexually abused several students. Towers was charged with second-degree assault, fourth-degree sex offense, minor sex abuse and second-degree child abuse.
Three of the charges were dropped by the Frederick County State's Attorney's Office. The second-degree assault charged was placed on the inactive docket.
The students "entered into an agreement with each other to maliciously, wrongfully, and falsely accuse (Towers) of the various criminal acts," lawsuit documents state. Their conduct "was extreme and outrageous and beyond the bounds of decency in society."
Citing defamation, invasion of privacy, malicious prosecution, civil conspiracy and intentional infliction of emotional distress, Towers wants a jury trial. He is asking for $1 million from each of the 11 defendants and $5 million in punitive damages.
A jury trial has been set for June.
Staff writer Kate Leckie contributed to this report.
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