TEXARKANA, Texas -- A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a Texarkana, Texas, house is being held in the Bowie County jail with bail set at $100,000.
The charge against Rashaan Jamal Cunningham, 44, aka "Fashion," stems from a Texas Department of Public Safety investigation into human trafficking, according to a probable cause affidavit. Cunningham was already being held in the Bowie County jail on pending drug charges when the aggravated assault charge was filed Monday.
According to the affidavit, investigators interviewed a 27-year-old woman Dec. 9 who claimed she was drugged, held down and sexually assaulted by Cunningham and another man in a Texarkana, Texas, house in April or May 2021. The other man has not been charged.
The woman allegedly reported that she was dropped off at a house on Richmond Road where she believed she would be safe. The woman allegedly reported that Cunningham attempted to recruit her into prostitution, which she declined.
"That was when he started getting rude, that's when he started getting mean, he started trying to manhandle and (the other man) was right along there with him," the affidavit states.
The woman said she began to feel "slow" and "heavy" after drinking a beverage given to her by the man with Cunningham. She described the feeling as similar to sedation she received before a medical procedure.
The woman reported that Cunningham and the other man took turns holding her down and sexually assaulting her. After the assault, the woman alleges she quickly dressed, leaving behind clothing and some personal items as she fled.
During a search of the house Dec. 15, investigators allegedly found prescription fentanyl patches, typically used to treat individuals suffering from terminal illness. The patches could have been cut, causing liquid fentanyl to drip out, which could be mixed in a beverage, the affidavit states.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid more powerful than morphine.
If convicted of aggravated sexual assault, Cunningham faces five to 99 years or life in a Texas prison.