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University of Illinois-Chicago student Mohammad Hossain shook his head after his bail was set at $500,000 for allegedly beating and torturing a female student.

He is accused of doing so while reenacting scenes from Fifty Shades of Grey.

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Both Hossain and the young woman he allegedly assaulted are freshmen.

Both are 19 years old, and according to the prosecutors, they had been intimate before, but were never officially dating. Here’s how events allegedly played out …

  • Hossain and the young woman go back to Hossain’s dorm at 5:30pm on Saturday.
  • Hossain instructs her to remove her clothing: she obeys, removing everything but her bra and underpants.
  • He binds her hands above her head with a belt and secures her to his bed.
  • He then binds her legs with another belt and stuffs a necktie into her mouth.
  • He put a knit cap over her eyes, then removed her bra and underwear.
  • Hossain then began beating the young woman with a third belt.
  • After being hit several times, the young woman began "shaking her head and crying".
  • Hossain didn’t stop, in fact he began hitting her with his fists.
  • The young woman got one arm free, but he held it behind her while he sexually assaulted her.
  • She pleaded for him to stop, but he didn’t.
  • Hossain’s roomate came back to their dorm after the assault had ended, and Hossain tried to block the door.
  • Eventually, the young woman was able to escape and call the police.

Hossain was arrested later that night and interviewed by UIC police. Assistant State’s Attorney Sarah Karr said that he "admitted assaulting the woman and doing something wrong."

He said that the couple were re-enacting scenes from Fifty Shades of Grey.

Hossain is a student leader, a student ambassador to the alumni association and was on the triathlon team. When the judge asked: "How can someone involved in all that let a movie persuade him to do something like this?"

His attorney replied: "He would say that it was consensual."

This tragedy is the second time in as many days that Fifty Shades of Grey fans have found themselves in trouble with the law. A woman was caught masturbating in the 12th row of a Mexican theater while watching the movie earlier this week.

This is a film now ensconced in intrigue, both in the movie-making world of Hollywood and around the country. We will be wise to brace ourselves for what happens next.