Accused ISU dorm intruder faces charges, possible expulsion
An ISU student is accused of entering multiple dorm rooms and inappropriately touching the occupants over a two-week period.
Sultan Bamoallem, a freshman finance major from Saudi Arabia, faces multiple misdemeanor charges including trespassing, battery and stalking.
Pocatello police said on Feb 23, Bamoallem entered a female student’s dorm in Turner Hall. Police said the student woke up to a partially-clad Bamoallem touching her back. He was charged with unlawful entry and battery.
“That’s really scary. As a female, that makes me really scared,” said ISU student Kelci McDermott.
“I found it kind of troubling,” said Rosco Tillman, who lives in Turner Hall.
On March 10, police said they got a report of Bamoallem following a student into a women’s restroom around 4 p.m.
On March 11, they responded to Nichols Hall just before 1 a.m. where they said Bamoallem had gained access by telling a student he lived there and had forgotten his key card.
At that point, ISU banned Bamoallem from campus, but officers said they found him later that night on the seventh floor of Turner Hall.
On March 13, police said Bamoallem attempted to camp out in the police department lobby, after which they say he groped a cleaning lady.
Officers said they later found Bamoallem at Rendezvous Center, where they said he had entered three separate dorms, each time touching the male and female occupants on the cheeks and upper torso.
“That’s a little creepy and not very cool at all,” said ISU student Kadon Miles.
ISU administrators told Local News 8 they plan to keep all dorm entrances locked and install cardreaders at the dorms that don’t already have them.
At Turner Hall, which doesn’t have cardreaders, ISU said a person is posted to check student’s ID cards.
“We talked to our young people and asked them: don’t let anybody in who you don’t know,” said Kent Tingey, ISU vice president for advancement.
Tingey said the school will hold a disciplinary hearing for Bamoallem, at which time they could determine whether or not to expel him.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen told Local News 8 Bamoallem was being held in a behavioral health center.
