By Joe Johnson
A man who is accused of raping a woman in one of two bars he owned in downtown Athens last year is facing an additional rape case, according to documents that were recently filed in Clarke County Superior Court.
David Ellis Ippisch, 39, was charged in February by a Clarke County grand jury with rape and kidnapping for the alleged assault on the 21-year-old victim, who is identified in court records as K.P.
According to Athens-Clarke County police, K.P. claimed she was raped on Nov. 25 at The Hedges on Broad, one of two bars Ippisch owned on East Broad Street, near the University of Georgia that were popular student hangouts. He also owned the 100 Proof bar.
Both bars went out of business after Ippisch was evicted, according to court records.
Police alleged that Ippisch pulled the victim against her will into a storage room at The Hedges and raped her. A detective suggested that the victim might have been drugged prior to the assault.
Ippisch’s defense attorneys claimed that the sex was consensual.
In a motion filed Tuesday afternoon, Western Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Jim Powers notified the court that “the State intends to present evidence of other acts of sexual and physical assault perpetrated against” another woman, who Classic City News is not naming.
The woman “would testify...that David Ippisch physically and sexually assaulted her on several, if not regular, occasions during the course of their roughly one to two-year relationship,” Powers stated in the motion. “Specifically, (the woman) would testify that on several occasions the defendant raped her while she was semi-conscious or unconscious.”
The prosecutor further stated in the motion that “the State expects to present (the second woman’s) case for indictment to the grand jury for the charge of rape as well as potential additional charges, once the COVID-19 Judicial Emergency allows for the grand jury to reconvene."
Powers concluded in the motion by stating that the DA’s office” expects to file additional notices of other acts evidence involving different alleged victims.”
Ippisch, who is detained at the Clarke County Jail, has been denied bail on three occasions.
One of his failed bids for bail came when Western Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Eric Norris ruled against a request by Ippisch to be released on the grounds it would be “likely” that if released from custody, Ippisch would commit another felony and posed a risk of influencing witnesses prior to trial.
The judge also heard testimony that Ippisch might be a flight risk if released from custody – when police searched his home at 909 Broad Street apartments, investigators reportedly found a computer that had a list of 94 women with whom Ippisch supposedly had sex, a large safe, and a “go-bag” that contained cash IDs, drugs and a credit card that would not be able to be traced back to Ippisch.
Anyone who has been sexually assaulted or knows someone who has can contact The Cottage Sexual Assault Center. The agency provides a range of free services for children and adult victims of sexual and physical abuse, including medical accompaniment, advocacy, referrals and support groups.
The Cottage maintains a 24-hour crisis and information hotline at (877) 363-1912. By Joe Johnson