Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Police have charged a 24-year-old New Hampshire man with forcing a woman into his room in the Fox Tower Hotel at Foxwoods Resort Casino and sexually assaulting her last month.

Nicholas Soucy, 24, of Newton, N.H., was arraigned Tuesday in New London Superior Court on a charge of first-degree sexual assault. He had been charged with third-degree assault and breach of peace immediately after the incident based on surveillance footage that showed him assaulting the woman outside the 18th floor hotel room, according to court documents. He posted a $75,000 bond and returned to New Hampshire while Mashantucket Police continued their investigation and prepared an arrest warrant charging Soucy with the more serious crime.

A customer from an adjacent hotel room on the 18th floor of the Fox Tower called security after she heard loud banging noises and a woman crying, wailing and saying "Stop" and "Get off me," according to an arrest warrant affidavit written by Investigator Kristen DiMauro.

The alleged victim told police she went to the casino with a group of friends on Oct. 13 to celebrate her 21st birthday and stay overnight. According to the affidavit, she said the women went to the Shrine nightclub about 11:30 p.m. and got separated. She said she met Soucy, who she thought she recognized but realized she didn't, and they had a brief conversation before she walked away. She said she was drinking tequila at the club but didn't take any drugs.

The woman said she decided to leave at 2 a.m. and noticed Soucy followed her into the elevator, the affidavit says. She said she mistakenly got off on the 18th floor, which was Soucy's floor, thinking she had reached the 29th floor, where she was staying. She said once she realized she was on the wrong floor she told Soucy she wanted to go to her room. Soucy told her he would walk her to her room and she told him she wanted to find her friends, according to the affidavit.

The woman said when they reached Soucy's room, he unlocked the door and pushed her into the room, slamming her head against the door. She said she fell to the ground and he got on top of her and raped her as she screamed, hit and scratched him.

"The victim stated that the accused kept telling her she wanted this to happen and the victim stated she kept telling him that she did not want this to happen," the affidavit says.

Nine minutes after the surveillance video shows the woman attempting to resist Soucy in the hallway, a security officer knocked on the door, according to the affidavit. The woman came out of the room visibly upset, partially undressed and with bruises, scratches and red marks on her body. The security officer, Amede LeClair, detained Soucy as he stated "I did not do anything" and headed toward the elevator bank, according to the affidavit.

Soucy was visibly intoxicated, according to the affidavit. The woman told police she was drinking throughout the night but was aware of what she was doing and what was happening.

Soucy has no previous criminal record, according to Bail Commissioner Chris Manavas. He is represented by New London defense attorney David P. Gaccione, who argued for a reduced bond during Soucy's arraignment. Gaccione said Soucy has been cooperative with police and that he turned himself in to New Hampshire authorities after learning of the Mashantucket arrest warrant. Gaccione said Soucy recently was married and his wife is eight months pregnant.

Judge Hillary B. Strackbein, who signed Soucy's arrest warrant, said she would not be modifying the $500,000 bond based on the seriousness of the allegation and the fact that Soucy's only connection to Connecticut is the casino, where he is no longer allowed. She said if he posts the bond, it must be done in court and he would be placed on electronic monitoring while his case is pending.

Soucy's next court date is Dec. 15.

k.florin@theday.com