The 20-year-old University of Miami junior arrested Jan. 24 in connection with the sexual battery and burglary reported in Pearson a week earlier was denied bond after appearing in court Feb. 24, WFOR channel 4 reported.
A taped confession by Michael Anthony Anderson, a junior majoring in music and pre-medicine, was played during last Friday’s hearing. On the tape, he admits to sexually fondling a woman on his floor in Pearson.
The tape also offered more insight into what happened; particularly, Anderson admitted that he was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
“The alcohol is not an excuse,” he told police. “I still did it and I’m sorry I did it. If I could take it back I definitely would.”
He pled not guilty on Jan. 29, according to the Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts website.
CBS4 reported that Anderson’s defense will ask for his release. Stephen Goldstein, Anderson’s attorney, confirmed this when he told The Miami Hurricane Wednesday he believes his client should be released on bond.
However, Judge Diane Ward denied bond for Anderson Friday, saying she would not allow for him to stay with him parents in Nashville.
“That’s fine for the women of South Florida,” she said, “but there are women in Nashville too that I have to worry about.”
The possibility of releasing him to be placed under house arrest in Miami with some form of GPS tracking system was also denied.
Dr. Edward S. Sczechowicz, Jr., a psychologist brought in to evaluate Anderson, told Ward that Anderson is an alcoholic. Sczechowicz declined to comment to The Hurricane Tuesday.
At the time of publication Wednesday night, Anderson’s next hearing was scheduled for March 1.
Greg Linch may be contacted at g.linch@umiami.edu.