A Camden man accused of violently raping an Atlantic City hotel housekeeper was ordered held in jail Monday.
Kye Hardison, 33, was allegedly inside a Claridge Hotel room when the 61-year-old woman entered to clean it, according to the affidavit read at his detention hearing.
The woman found Hardison using the bathroom and left, but he then followed her into the hallway and pushed her back into the room, Assistant Prosecutor Dave Ruffenach told the judge.
The victim was pushed into the bathroom where she hit her head on the floor, he said.
Her bra was broken, pants forced down and she was raped, according to the charges.
Hardison’s attorney, Steve Funk, disputed those claims saying Hardison was registered to the room and that the two had consensual sex.
But Ruffenach said the police report indicated the room “had been vacant for two or three days.”
The results of a rape kit and a buccal swab taken from Hardison are pending.
Hardison was on probation for two cases out of Camden at the time of the alleged attack, on charges that include threats and drugs.
He also had two prior arrests this year, including twice violating a domestic violence restraining order.
Funk said Hardison is a married father of two with a full-time job as a delivery driver.
While Superior Court Judge Bernard DeLury said he heard the defense’s claims of consent, the evidence showed Hardison’s “violent conduct has escalated.”
He will continue to be held in the Atlantic County Justice Facility pending the outcome of the case.
The victim, whose name is not being released due to the nature of the charges, has requested a sexual assault restraining order.
Ruffenach has also filed to have Hardison tested for any sexually transmitted diseases.
