Man Charged in Harvard, MIT Assaults Ordered Held Without Bail

A district court judge ordered July 21 that the man charged in connection with two assaults on Harvard’s campus remain held without bail, finding him too dangerous for release — his first in-person appearance since he was charged in May.

Arthur O. Krogman, a 31-year-old from Dunbarton, N.H., faces eight charges stemming from reported incidents at Harvard and MIT on May 19, including kidnapping, indecent assault and battery, witness intimidation, and breaking and entering. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Krogman appeared in plain clothes and spoke fewer than 10 words during the hourslong hearing. His presence is a change of pace, as during his arraignment hearing on May 28, his attorney, Scott L. Matson, requested that Krogman appear by videoconference without showing his face.

Matson argued at the time that a public appearance could jeopardize Krogman’s right to a fair trial because witnesses may still need to identify him. A judge granted the request.

Prosecutors allege that Krogman assaulted a woman outside Harvard-owned Peabody Terrace apartment complex, grabbing her wrist and attempting to pull her toward a nearby building. About 30 minutes later, Krogman allegedly followed a Harvard senior into Lowell House and tried to push her into her dorm room and cover her mouth before fleeing.

About 15 minutes after leaving Lowell House, Krogman allegedly followed a woman into an MIT residential building without authorization and entered an elevator with her, before leaving the campus. No injuries were reported in any of the three incidents, which occurred in the span of an hour.

The hearing centered on whether Krogman was fit to be released as the case continues or if he was too dangerous to be released from custody.

Middlesex Assistant District Attorney Benjamin J. Haspel argued that Krogman may be experiencing mental health issues, lacked “stability” in a support network, and should not be released without a treatment plan.

Haspel cited a “period of hospitalization in the last year or so, last few months,” which Krogman’s parents reported to police, as well as a 2017 restraining order in Vermont obtained by a former female roommate and a 2023 report filed against him by Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Haspel also argued that Krogman was “appearing to target young women,” saying the allegations could not be treated as an isolated incident.

Matson disputed the claim that Krogman lacked stability, pointing to his master’s degree, employment across several industries, and “strong support” from his family.

Matson added that Krogman was living in Waltham at the time of his arrest, and, though he lost his housing “as a result of his arrest,” his family said he could return to the area if released.

District Court Judge Joanna Rodriguez ultimately sided with Haspel, saying “there is a public safety aspect” given Krogman’s alleged mental health issues and the nature of the crimes. Rodriguez did not consider the evidence from Vermont or Ohio in her decision.

“I don’t think this is a Harvard or MIT issue; this is a young women’s issue,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez found Krogman dangerous and ordered him held without bail for 120 days from his arraignment date, meaning he will remain in custody until at least Sept. 25.

In addition to the dangerous ruling, which applied only to the witness intimidation charge stemming from the Lowell House assault, Rodriguez held a status hearing on Krogman’s remaining charges.

Matson challenged several of the charges, echoing arguments he first raised in May.

Krogman faces one count of indecent assault and battery, stemming from his alleged placement of his hands on the Lowell House victim’s hips as he tried to push her into her room. Matson called the charge “headline grabbing” and argued that the alleged conduct did not meet the legal threshold for indecent assault.

Matson said Krogman’s alleged actions may have been “creepy, maybe, but not criminal.”

Matson also challenged Krogman’s breaking and entering charge stemming from the MIT incident, pointing to “the torrential rain” visible in surveillance footage. He argued that Krogman “behaved in the same way” as others who appeared to enter the building to escape the weather.

On all charges except witness intimidation, Rodriguez placed Krogman on pretrial probation and ordered him not to contact the victims or witnesses.

Because of Rodriguez’s dangerousness ruling, Krogman will remain in custody. He is next scheduled to appear in court for a pretrial hearing on Aug. 21.

—Staff writer Shawn A. Boehmer can be reached at [email protected] and on Signal at shawnb.18. Follow him on X @ShawnBoehmer.