A Monroe County Grand Jury has indicted a man in connection with the attempted sexual assault of a student at the Eastman School of Music in the fall.

Michael Sheppard is the man accused and the indictment lists nine counts against him, including sexual abuse, attempted rape, strangulation, and burglary as a sexually-motivated felony.

Court paperwork indicates the assault took place September 15 in the basement of the Eastman Annex in a music practice room. Later that day, the school sent out a message to students and faculty at the school. It said in part:

"An Eastman School of Music graduate student was the victim of an attempted sexual assault. The incident occurred in basement of the Eastman Annex, which is located on Swan Street. The student reported that an unknown male entered the practice room she was using and attempted to sexually assault her. After a struggle the suspect fled the area."

U of R officials alerted students that the Department of Public Safety and the Rochester Police Department were actively investigating this incident. Extra staff were assigned to the Eastman campus for added visibility and patrols, concentrating on the practice and classroom areas. 

Sheppard was tracked down because, as the indictment reads, he had stolen a Discover credit card from the victim. It's believed police were able to make an arrest based on a connection with that credit card.

The U of R says new safety and security procedures have been implemented within the past month, which includes extensive, beefed-up requirements for presenting IDs and for signing in visitors, along with increased security.

"I think it’s worked,” said Lucas Slavin, student. “I think the security guards seem to recognize you, it’s not that big of a deal, I feel pretty safe.”

"People take security really seriously here and I think after that, students were really cautious about not opening doors for random people,” said Isaiah Wu, student.

The University offered safety tips to students that included: walk in pairs or with trusted companions, especially at night or in remote areas, be alert to your surroundings and to trust your instincts — if something or someone makes you uneasy, tell someone, avoid the person, or leave the area. They added, that if students are in danger on campus, they should immediately call DPS at 585-275-3333, or if they are off campus to call 911

Sheppard does have a history with the law and is a parolee.