By Joe Johnson
A Clarke County Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied bond to an Athens bar owner who is accused of raping a customer last month in one of the downtown establishments he owns near the University of Georgia.
During the hearing, a prosecutor disclosed that following the bar owner’s arrest four other woman came forward with similar allegations
Judge Eric Norris denied 38-year-old David Ellis Ippisch’s request for bond on the grounds it would be “likely” that if released from custody, Ippisch would commit another felony and posed a risk of influencing witnesses.
Athens-Clarke County Detective Daniel Harrison testified that when searching Ippisch’s home at 909 Broad Street apartments, investigators found a computer that had a list of 94 women with whom Ippisch supposedly had sex.
One of Ippisch's three defense attorneys argued that the sex was consensual.
Attorney Markus Boenig previously told Classic City News that the rape accusation against his client was “unfounded.”
The incident allegedly occurred early the morning of Nov. 24, when a 21-year-old woman alleged that Ippisch pulled her into a storage room of The Hedges on Broad -- one of two bars Ippisch owns a block away from UGA's North Campus -- and raped her.
Ippisch also owns another popular bar, 100 Proof, located nearby on East Broad Street.
In his testimony, Harrison suggested that the victim might have been drugged prior to the assault.
“She asked for water, she blacked out, she couldn’t remember a lot after that,” the detective testified. He admitted under cross-examination that there was no proof that anything was "wrong" with the water.
Western Judicial Circuit Assistant District Attorney Jim Powers noted during the hearing that police seized from Ippisch’s home a laptop computer, 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.
Ippisch has been held at the Clarke County Jail since Nov. 25, the day after the alleged assault.
No further proceedings for his case were listed in the clerk’s docket as of Friday afternoon.
Police asked that anyone with information concerning this case contact Detective Harrison at (762) 400-7361 or Lt. Derek Scott at (762) 400-7068.
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.