Peng Tang Enters Plea of Not Guilty in Iowa City Sexual Assault Case

Many questions remain surrounding the accusation that Iowa City man Peng Tang sexually assaulted a woman while she was showing him her apartment for a possible sublet. But one question was answered on Friday: how would he plea?

Not guilty.

Tang, 21, was not in attendance as his lawyer entered his written plea of not guilty in a routine affair Friday afternoon at the Johnson County Courthouse. This came as a disappointment for some, as a few onlookers who came to see a show were turned away by a court administrator  with the admonition that there was "nothing to see."

Tang has been charged with first-degree kidnapping, a Class A felony, for allegedly sexually assaulting a woman who had intended to show him an apartment for a potential sublet agreement. Read more about the details of the investigation into this accusation .

First-degree kidnapping carries with it a potential sentence of life in prison.

Tang is now being held in the with a bail set at $750,000, and Immigration and Naturalization has placed a hold on him, meaning that he could be deported from this country if he is found guilty of the crime after he has served his full sentence.

Tang allegedly sexually assaulted a woman at the 1000 block of West Benton Street two weeks ago.

The woman told police that as she showed Tang the bedroom in her apartment,  he closed the door behind them and locked it, grabbing her hands behind her back and attempting to bind them. The woman said she tried to speak to the Tang but he put a towel into her mouth, then forced her to turn her cell phone off, then sexually assaulted her.

The man allegedly told the woman that he had a knife during the episode. He also took sexually explicit photos of the woman and threatened to post them online if she called police, according to the criminal complaint.

Investigation of the incident, including assistance from the woman, led the police to Tang within 24 hours.