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Rape Reported at Super Bowl Party At MOSI

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By JOHN W. ALLMAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 19, 2009

TAMPA - Tampa police are investigating a reported rape during a Super Bowl party at the Museum of Science and Industry.

A 22-year-old Tampa woman attending the Under The Veil party on Jan. 31 told police she was raped inside MOSI.

Officers responded to the museum at 2:32 a.m. on Feb. 1, according to police spokeswoman Laura McElroy.

"At this point, it's an active investigation and we're pursuing all possible leads on it," McElroy said today.

No arrests have been made.

The woman was taken to a crisis center for evaluation of sexual battery, McElroy said.

Under The Veil, a two-night event at MOSI on Jan. 30-31, was billed as one of the premiere Super Bowl parties in Tampa. It was not a National Football League-sanctioned event, McElroy said.

"Lots of parties pop up because the Super Bowl is in town," she said.

Officially, there were about 200 NFL sanctioned events. "We didn't have incidents of violence or crimes that occurred at any of those," she said.

Shani Jefferson, spokeswoman for MOSI, said museum officials became aware of the alleged incident on Super Bowl Sunday.

"Due to the nature of that incident, we want to defer all comments and questions to the investigators handling it," Jefferson said today.

Under The Veil was promoted by Joseph Stuckman and Jakale Freeman of Tampa-based J&J Sports Marketing Group. Neither was immediately available for comment.

Reporter John W. Allman can be reached at (813) 259-7915.

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