BLOOMINGTON -- A Bloomington man claims he was asleep when he fondled a teenage girl during a spring break sleepover, therefore he's not responsible for what he did.
Andrew Passwaiter told police he suffers from “sexsomnia,” a condition where a person engages in sexual activities while they are asleep.
The 15-year-old girl told investigators with the Bloomington Police Department that she was sleeping on a couch when she woke up to find Passwaiter fondling her. She went to another room and told her friend what had happened, and slept in there for the rest of the night.
Both girls told police that Passwaiter was awake at the time of the assault.
Debby Herbenick, Director of The Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University, said that sexsomnia isn't very common and those who suffer from it may exhibit different actions.
“The few studies that exist put it around five or six percent of the population,” said Herbenick. “Some do talk during these episodes. Some people groan or grunt as they might during sex, so there is a range of different ways that people can experience this.”
Herbenick said that because the research on sexsomnia is so limited, it’s difficult for a doctor to diagnose.
Passwaiter told investigators he was diagnosed by a psychologist who has since died. He's currently facing a felony charge of sexual battery.
