A “50 Shades of Grey” fascination took a dark turn for UIC freshman Mohammad Hossain, who was ordered to be held on $500,000 bail Monday after he was accused of binding, beating and sexually assaulting a female student inside his campus dorm room.
Prosecutors say he told officers the two were re-enacting scenes from the hit film “50 Shades of Grey."
Sex therapist Karen Washington advises those who come to her with an interest in BDSM—or bondage and discipline, dominance and submission—to be very cautious.
“I think in this day and age people can use anything as an excuse to do what they want to do with no regard for other people,” Washington said. “The biggest thing is, do you feel safe with this person? Do you feel that you can trust this person? Do you have clear delineated words or a contract?”
At Hossain's bail hearing a judge was admittedly confused how this student leader could be so influenced by a film like “50 Shades of Grey."
Most who knew Mohammad Hossain, who is a UIC student alumni ambassador and an educator at a peer health exchange aimed to empower teens to make healthy decisions, said they were also shocked.
“He was a really smart kid and was doing great in his classes,” UIC student Savanna Raza said. “But he should’ve stopped when she said no. No means no. Stop means stop.”
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Prosecutors say that around 5:30 p.m. Saturday Hossain went to his dorm room in the 900 block of West Harrison Street with a woman. Once inside, he allegedly asked her to remove her clothing, which she did, keeping on her bra and underwear before Hossain bound her hands and feet with belts and stuffed a necktie in her mouth. Prosecutors also say he put a knit hat on her head, covering her eyes before he removed the rest of her clothing and started striking her with a belt.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office said the victim told Hossain he was hurting her and asked him to stop. She eventually got one arm free but officials allege he held it behind her back as he sexually assaulted her. Prosecutors said the victim requested he stop multiple times before Hossain’s roommate came home.
At 6:34 p.m. that same night Hossain posted “I’m finally satisfied – feeling accomplished,” on his Facebook page. One comment on the status reads, “Only for so long.”
Sex therapist Karen Washington added that in true BDSM relationships, there should always be a safe word.
“The second that safe word or safe action is enacted – just like in the movie, as soon as she said her safe word he stopped,” Washington said.
