A Boston man is facing a variety of charges after Northeastern University police say he attempted to rape a student last Thursday.

Kenneth Colson, 29, homeless, is being charged with assault to rape, open and gross lewdness, kidnapping, assault and battery, and trespassing. He was ordered held without bail to await a dangerousness hearing during his arraignment in Roxbury Municipal Court on Tuesday, according to court documents obtained by Boston.com.

That same Thursday, MBTA Transit Police were called to Forest Hills Station where a second victim told them a man, later identified as Colson, exposed himself to her while they were on an Orange Line train after he asked her “inappropriate questions.” Transit police arrested Colson on Saturday on an open and gross lewdness charge for what allegedly occurred on the train, authorities said.


Colson is a registered level 3 sex offender stemming from a prior offense, according to online records.

It was around 12:50 p.m. on Thursday that university police were called about the assault on the student, according to the police report. The victim told police that around 12:30 p.m. she had gone into an empty classroom in Dodge Hall to study. Colson allegedly walked into the room soon afterward.

About 15 minutes later, Colson allegedly asked the victim for a “quickie” as she tried to leave, telling her he had a condom. He then allegedly pulled down his pants and exposed his genitals. When the victim refused, he allegedly pushed her against a wall. The victim then pushed back and fled. She found a witness who snapped a photo of Colson.

Police were able to determine that Colson boarded the Orange Line at Massachusetts Avenue Station at 12:51 p.m. Transit police were called to Forest Hills Station around 3 p.m. that day for the subsequent report.

Transit police reviewed surveillance footage, and an officer ended up seeing Colson at the corner of Ukraine Way and Washington Street in Jamaica Plain on Saturday, where he was arrested.