An Ohio University Student Was Harassed Online After Being Falsely Identified As An Alleged Sexual Assault Victim

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A female student at Ohio University faced attacks from all over the Internet after she was incorrectly identified online as the victim of an alleged public sexual assault, according to OU student newspaper The Post.

Rachel Cassidy - an OU sophomore - had been linked to an alleged sexual assault that occurred on a public street in Athens, Ohio and drew the attention of many onlookers who uploaded images of the act to various social media sites. After her name became associated with the incident, Cassidy deactivated all of her social media accounts, didn't leave her house, and was excused from her classes by the university, The Post reported.

OU administrators confirmed to The Post that Cassidy is not the alleged victim.

Cassidy may have been originally identified due to a purported physical resemblance to the female pictured in the viral images. "It's critically important for people to know that the attacks generated against my daughter are simply because she has long curly hair and may look a little bit like the victim," Cassidy's father told the Post.

@Anon_Central - a popular Twitter account with over 170,000 followers - sent out several messages linking Cassidy to the alleged assault:

Many other Twitter users also publicly condemned Cassidy: